2l6 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



THE REFORM OF WEIGHTS AND 

 riEASURES IN ENGLAND. 



The Report of the select Committee 

 appointed to inquire whether any, and 

 what, changes in the present system of 

 weights and measures should be adopted, 

 has been published as a Parliamentary 

 paper. 



Evidence from witnesses represent- 

 ing official, commercial, manufacturing, 

 trade, educational and professional inter- 

 ests was received by the committee, and 

 numerous corporations, school boards, 

 and other public bodies sent resolutions 

 in favor of the adoption of the metrical 

 system. 



All the witnesses expressed a strong 

 opinion as to the complicated and un- 

 satisfactory condition of the present 

 weights and measures in use, and of the 

 distinct and serious drawback to British 

 commerce, especially in the foreign trade, 

 which this system entails, differing as it 

 does from the system (metrical) now 

 adopted by almost every European na- 

 tion, as well as by far the majority of 

 non- European countries with which this 

 kingdom trades. The evidence also 

 showed that the home trade would be 

 benefited if more simple and uniform 

 standards of weights and measures than 

 those now existing were adopted. 



Moreover, strong evidence was brought 

 forward as to the serious loss of time in- 

 curred by English school children in 

 having to learn the complicated system 

 of tables of existing weights and meas- 

 ures, and the urgent need of the adop- 

 tion of a simpler system. It was stated 

 that no less than one year's school time 

 would be saved if the metrical system 

 were taught in place of that now in use. 



Evidence from competent witnesses 

 proved to the satisfaction of the commit- 

 tee that a compulsory change from an 

 old and complicated system to the metri- 



cal had taken jdace in Germany, Norway 

 and Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, and 

 many other European countries without 

 serious opposition or inconvenience ; that 

 this change was carried out in a compar- 

 atively short period ; and that as soon as 

 the simple character of the new system 

 was understood it was appreciated by all 

 classes of the population, and no attempt 

 to use the old units or to return to the old 

 system was made. 



In the United States, where a system 

 founded on the English units exists, a 

 commission is at present engaged in an 

 investigation of the same character as 

 that with which the committee was 

 charged, and the Federal Government 

 has this year passed an act rendering 

 the metrical system compulsory for phar- 

 maceutical purposes. 



The committee believes that the adop- 

 tion of the metrical system by England 

 would greatly tend to render that system 

 universal. 



It is recommended : 



{a) That the metrical system of weights- 

 and measures be at once legalized for all 

 purposes. 



(b) That after a lapse of two years the 

 metrical system be rendered compulsory 

 by Act of Parliament. 



(c) That the metrical system of weights 

 and measures be taught in all public ele- 

 mentary schools as a necessary and inte- 

 gral part of arithmetic, and that decimals 

 be introduced at an earlier period of the 

 school curriculum than is the case at 

 present. — Nature. 



Barium Pyrogallate. — R. Godeffroy (Oesterr. 

 Zeitschr. ) describes a pyrogallate of barium, 

 obtained in fine acicular crystals, by mixing an 

 aqueous solution of pyrogallic acid with excess 

 of solution of barium hydrate. The composi- 

 tion appeared to correspond to the ormu a, C 6 

 H 4 BaO s , 4H.O. 



