WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 355 



members, including the Chairman and. Secretary, to serve on 

 a Joint Committee. The report of this Committee was sent 

 down to local Chambers, and in February, 1871, the Council 

 resolved that all agricultural produce, except liquids, should 

 be sold by weight only, and added " that the Council, appre- 

 ciating the advantages of the recommendations contained 

 in the report of the Joint Committee (in favour of the ' quintal ' 

 of 100 kilogrammes and the compulsory use of the metric 

 weights after a defined period), was. of opinion that it is desir- 

 able in the first place to introduce instruction in the metric 

 system in public elementary schools." (Annual Report, 

 1871.) 



In 1878 the Council re-affirmed its previous resolution in 

 favour of sale by weight, but the cental of 100 Ib. was now to 

 be the standard. The Board of Trade was then memorialised 

 to make the cental a new Imperial denomination of standard. 

 This memorial was presented by a deputation in December, 

 when the Chamber was supported by delegates from Corn 

 Trade and Millers' Associations and Chambers of Commerce. 

 The Government acceded to so much of the prayer of the 

 memorial as to issue on 4th February, 1879, an Order in Council 

 making a new denomination of standard, consisting of 100 

 Imperial pounds, thus legalising the cental. 



From 1879 onwards until 1904 the Council confined its 

 attention to that part of this question dealt with under 

 " Corn Averages ; " but, in the last-named year, an abstract 

 resolution was adopted in favour of an uniform system being 

 made compulsory. In this year also Lord Kelvin introduced 

 a Bill in the House of Lords which sought to make com- 

 pulsory the use of the metric system. This measure was 

 referred to a Select Committee, to which the Council sent two 

 witnesses (Mr. Herman Biddell and Mr. F. J. Lloyd), who 

 were charged to oppose the adoption of this system ; it 

 passed through the Lords, however, but made no progress 

 in the Lower House. In 1907 a similar Bill was introduced 

 in the House of Commons, but was rejected on second reading 

 by 150 to 118. 



In 1911 the Council appointed a Special Committee to 



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