3l6 METRIC SYSTEM (IE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



Expediency is therefore an additional argument in favour 

 of the adoption of the metric system to the exchision of all 

 others. 



When we come to the decimalisation of the coinage, 

 the demand is slightly different. It is only demanded that 

 the pound sterling should he decimalised, by dividing it into 

 i.ooo parts. There is no suggestion that we should express the 

 pound in terms of the dollar or 20-franc or mark-piece. The 

 present and the suggested coinage would compare as follows : — 



The 1,000 parts would be called mils, and as one pound is 

 equal to 960 farthings, one mil would be ecfual to one farthing 

 within 4 per cent. 



The decimal coinage would be as f o11o\as : — 



Sovereign — same value as at present. 



Half-Sovcrc'ujn — same value as at ])resent, equal to 500 mils. 



Silver : 



Florin — 100 „ 



Half-Florin — same value as the shilling .. .. 50 ,, 

 Quarter-Florin — same value as the six- 

 penny piece „ ,, 25 



Nickel : 



Cent — nearly equal to the threepenny 



piece ,. 10 „ 



N.B.— The threepenuv piece is = 12.5 mils. 



Copper : 



Demi-Cent ,. „ 5 



or 



Penny 4 



Halfpen)iy 2 „ 



Farthing or .1/// 1 „ 



The new peiin\- of 4 mils would be 4 ])er ccnl. less in valine 

 than the present i)enn)-. If the new ])emiy was the unit for penny 

 postage, then the cent would be the cost of the present 2j'2d. 

 foreign postage. 



Tt will be seen ibat practically all om- ]ircsent coin-values 

 would be maintained. 



In accounts the \alues would read as follows: — 



Sovereign i .000 



blorin o. 100 



llalf-Horin (or sinlling): 0.05') 



Quarter-florin (or sixpence) ... 0.025 



Cent (or"ticke\") o.oic:) 



Penny o . 004 



Mil 0.001 



