428 The Metrical System 



it to themselves and to the world, other nations ought to 

 have exercised a little more criticism before they accepted 

 it. Looking to the fact that in France itself it had, after 

 more than half a century, been accepted only in a frag- 

 mentary form, it would have been reasonable to inquire into 

 the cause of this, and the unsuitableness of the fundamental 

 unit would have been at once recognised as the cause of 

 the failure. It could then have been easily rectified, and 

 the only inconvenience would have been the necessity of 

 changing the weights and measures in France, if the metrical 

 system had already been made compulsory in that country. 

 The inconvenience to France at that date would have been 

 insignificant, and the advantage to the world would have 

 been enormous. 



When we are asked to say that we think that the use 

 of the metrical system should be made compulsory in this 

 country, it is important that those who ask us to do so 

 should declare clearly whether they wish to introduce the 

 metrical system in its entirety, as formulated by the Academy 

 of Sciences and accepted by the French Assembly, and 

 make it compulsory, or only that fragment of the system 

 which concerns weights and measures as used in commerce. 

 If they really wish to introduce and make compulsory only 

 this fragment, then they should not only clearly say so, but 

 they should formally and specifically renounce the remaining 

 fragment of it which deals with navigation and with the 

 division of the da}'. It would be intolerable if w 7 e adopted 

 the kilogramme and the metre for our every-day weights 

 and measures and then found that the activity of the agitator 

 was only shifted and took the form of forcing us to alter 

 our division of time and of the circle, which are in perfect 

 harmony with each other and are in universal use throughout 

 the world. 



Even if this declaration could be obtained, it is doubtful 

 if it would be worth much. The number of States which 

 have accepted the metrical system and have introduced it 

 in its fragmentary form is large ; but the population of these 

 States is less numerous than that of the States which have 



