462 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. HI. No. 65. 



of weights and measures.' The invitation 

 was accepted ; the conference was held. To 

 the extent of its power it adopted a uniform 

 system of weights and measures. The other 

 nations, parties to the conference, with 

 scarcely an exception have honorably pro- 

 ceeded to put in force in their respective 

 limits the metric system thus adopted. On 

 what principle of international honor can 

 the United States, the originator of the con- 

 ference, stand alone in refusing or delay- 

 ing to abide by its action ? What possible 

 motive can this country have in thus co- 

 quetting longer on this subject with the na- 

 tions of Europe and her sister republics ? 

 Having sought the verdict of a tribinal of 

 our own choosing shall we fail to stand by 

 its decision ? A nice sense of honor, no less 

 than her own interests, M^ould seem to de- 

 mand from the United States definite and 

 complete action which should put her in full 

 accord on this subject with the nations with 

 which she has so long ostensibly been co- 

 operating. 



Your committee in the investigation of 

 this subject have not only heard such gen- 

 tlemen as saw fit to come before them, but 

 they sought the views of officers of the 

 Government whose work would be most 

 directly affected by the proposed change. 

 They have examined the facts submitted to 

 former committees of this House, and have 

 availed themselves of the testimony lately 

 taken before the committee of the House of 

 Commons of England in their investigation 

 of this subject extending over several 

 months. They have sought to learn by let- 

 ters of inquiry to the Superintendent of Pub- 

 lic Instruction of each of the States, as well 

 as the Commissioner of Education of the 

 United States, the extent to which instruc- 

 tion is now afforded in the metric system 

 in the various States. The replies indicate 

 that this instruction varies much as the edu- 

 cational progress of the States varies. Utah 

 has placed in her constitution a provision 



requiring such instruction in all the public 

 schools. In all the States the instruction is 

 largely abstract and theoretical, and neces- 

 sarily so, but the moment the sj^stem goes 

 into practical operation, or it becomes cer- 

 tain that it is to go into operation at no very 

 distant date, the character of the instruction 

 will at once change and become practical. 

 The English school authorities are already 

 furnishing to schools asking for them actual 

 specimens of the liter, meter, etc., and a 

 similar course by the school authorities of 

 this country would be wise. 



Your committee, after a careful consider- 

 ation of this subject, have unanimously 

 reached the conclusion that the metric 

 system of weights and measures should be 

 put into exclusive use in the various De- 

 partments of the Government at such future 

 date as shall allow adequate preparation 

 for the change, and at the end of a fixed 

 time thereafter that said system shall be 

 recognized as the only legal system for 

 general use. They, however, do not deem 

 it wise at present to require a change in the 

 methods of surveying the public lands, as 

 this would in that respect destroy rather 

 than promote uniformity. 



Your committee also deem it prudent to 

 enlarge the time for the proposed system to 

 take effect to a date somewhat later than 

 the date proposed in the bill submitted, 

 adopting for this country about the average 

 time deemed necessary by other nations. 

 Your committee, therefore, recommend that 

 the time for adoption in the Departments 

 and operations of the Government, except 

 in the completion of the survey of the pub- 

 lic lands, be fixed for July 1, 1898, and that 

 the adoption of the metric system for use 

 in the Nation at large be fixed as coincident 

 with the dawn of the twentieth century, 

 and that date be accordingly changed to 

 Januarj' 1, 1901, the first day of the new 

 century. 



Your committee also deem some changes 



