232 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LV, No. 1418 



to be not incompatible, at least with the results 

 of many of the experiments of Rutherford and 

 of those who are so brilliantly cooperating 

 with him to reveal to us the ultimate strvieture 

 of matter. 



J. C. McLennan 

 The Physical Laboratokt, 

 University of Toronto, 

 December 29, 1921 



PROGRESS IN METRIC STANDARDI- 

 ZATION 



Mark Twain remarked that people talked 

 a great deal about the weather and yet he never 

 heard of anybody doing anything about it. 

 The same observation might also be made in 

 reference to the metric system. As scientists 

 we believe in it and through our organizations 

 such as the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, the American Chemical 

 Society, etc., we pass resolutions in favor of 

 its adoption, but we do little towards making 

 its use more general. "We use the metric sys- 

 tem in certain parts of our work but we con- 

 tinue to purchase our chemicals and supplies 

 on the basis of the so-called English "system." 

 The American Chemical Society has resolved 

 to "do something about it" and the first step 

 is to purchase our chemicals and supplies on 

 a metric basis and thus "clean our own house." 



The manufacturers and dealers are entirely 

 willing to cooperate, but they feel that it is 

 absolutely necessary for the consiuners to take 

 the initiative. A list of some 40 manufacturers 

 and dealers, who are ready to quote in metric 

 units, has been compiled by tlie Metric System 

 Committee. Cf. J. Ind. and Eng. Chem. 13, 

 1068 Nov. 1921. Several firms already use 

 metric packages and some of them exclusively 

 such as the Eastman Kodak Company, Powers- 

 Weightman-Eosengarten Co., etc. 



Users of chemicals are now asked to write 

 their specifications in metric units in order to 

 aid in this movement. Over 300 colleges and 

 univei-sities have already agreed to cooperate 

 in the movement, with only one institution 

 linown to be opposed to the change. Over 250 

 technical firms have agi'eed to purchase their 

 pure chemicals and chemical supplies in metric 



packages. Firms have been urged to write 

 to the Committee "even if opposed to the move- 

 ment." It is significant that less than 3 per 

 cent, of those heard from are opposed, which 

 prompts us to believe that in a short time pure 

 chemicals in America may be packed exclusive- 

 ly in the standard metric packages as recom- 

 mended by the Committee on Guaranteed Re- 

 agents and Standard Apparatus {cf. J. Ind. 

 Eng. Chem. May 1921), Dr. W. D. Collins, 

 Chairman. 



We now ask that all scientists — physicists, 

 biologists as well as chemists — make a point of 

 ordering chemicals in metric units. It is not 

 practicable to reach by letter all of the teachers 

 of science in our schools and colleges as well 

 as those using chemicals in the industries, hence 

 we are making this general appeal so that the 

 transition period may be made as short as 

 practicable. We have liad printed "stickers" 

 stating that "orders must be filled and billed 

 in metric units" which will be sent to any cor- 

 respondent for the asking. 



No scientist would willingly join a move- 

 ment which would work an injurj^ to American 

 industry. We have considered the question 

 whether the compulsory adoption of the metric 

 system would be injurious to industry and we 

 believe that it would be of distinct benefit not 

 only in world trade but in our intercourse here 

 at home. The DeLaval Separator Company- 

 has already changed over to the metric basis 

 in a purely mechanical enterprise and they 

 find that the cost of the change does not even 

 "show up" in the manufacturing costs. 



In education the saving by abolishing our 

 out-of-date system would be enormous, esti- 

 mated by Dr. Wolf to be an aggregate of a 

 million years in a single generation. The pro- 

 motion of understandings with other nations 

 tends to the promotion of world peace and 

 the cost of not adopting the system used by 

 practically every nation in the world except 

 the English and ourselves may far exceed in 

 a single generation the cost of making the 

 change. 



We need local committees to get the metric 

 system properly taught in the schools. Doc- 

 tors are writing prescriptions in metric units 



