300 The Decimal System. [July, 
In his next sentence it appears to me that there is at least 
one word too many, viz., the word ‘‘ inextricably.” For, in 
other countries with measures and weights as much unlike 
the metric system as our own, with a people not a whit 
more enlightened, and as much tied and bound to a multitude 
of common facts, just as inextricably entanged with the soil, 
the village, and the town as is the case in England, the 
change to the metric system has been already made and 
with the greatest success. 
In aid of his argument the writer brings forward instances, 
all, or at least most, of which are such as are constantly re- 
curring, and which are just those things which will be most 
quickly learnt. Allowing that a man accustomed to buy 
his pound of tea may be somewhat confused when he goes 
for the first time after the introduction of the new system 
to make his customary purchase, can we suppose that this 
confusion will last long? Will he be slow in forming his 
estimate of the weight of a kilogramme or he¢togramme, 
when he constantly has to buy a kilogramme or so many 
hectogrammes ? 
The quartern loaf forms a great part of the writer’s bill 
of fare. It seems that ‘‘it is a known quantity of bread, 
good for so much food, and likely to last for such and such 
atime.” Precisely, and so is a loaf which weighs a kilo- 
gramme “‘ good for so much food, and likely to last for such 
and such a time;”’ and it will be hard to persuade most people 
that a housekeeper would be more than a few days in finding 
out exactly how much food the new style of loaf is good for, and 
exactly how long it is likely to last. It would then become 
in only a few days “‘a known quantity of bread.” The same 
would apply to all other instances, which occur frequently, 
and the very rarity of the occurrence of others diminishes 
their importance. ‘The summing up of this truly alarming 
quotation is appalling. ‘There would evidently be a famine, 
or some dire calamity. ‘‘All the daily conditions of life 
uncertain: ” only think of it ! 
It does not seem to have occurred to the writer that pre- 
cautions might be taken to mitigate the evils which he 
foresees; that it might be made generally known beforehand, 
for instance, by means of printed bills, &c., that a metre is 
about 392 inches; that a kilométre is about 1100 yards, or 5 
furlongs, or 2ths of a mile; that the he¢tare is about 23 acres ; 
the kilogramme about 2; pounds; that 50 kilogrammes are 
about 1 hundredweight; and rooo kilogrammes about a ton; 
whilst the litre is about 13 imperial pints, so that 43 litres 
are about 1 gallon. Yet even such a simple precaution as 
