830 



SCIENCE. 



[N. B. Vol. XV. No. 386. 



The intense commercial rivalry of nations 

 warns us to leave nothing undone vs^hich might 

 further our own interests, and there can be no 

 doubt that the introduction of the metric system, 

 to which this country stands pledged since the 

 meeting of the International American Confer- 

 ence in 1890, would greatly facilitate interna- 

 tional commercial transactions. Without doubt 

 Great Britain and Russia would follow the initia- 

 tive of this country in this matter, and thus, 

 what a few decades ago would have been consid- 

 ered an unattainable ideal, namely, a system of 

 weights and measures common at least to all 

 western nations, would be reached. 



It is not the purpose of this recommendation 

 to place before Congress a full discussion of this 

 subject. The various committees appointed by it 

 from time to time to consider this matter have 

 made exhaustive reports covering aspects of the 

 question no less important than the commercial 

 one — reports always agreeing on the necessity 

 for reform, always considering our present sys- 

 tem a temporary one and out of harmony with 

 our decimal notation and monetary system, and 

 since 1866 always recommending the introduction 

 of the metric system. 



The great difficulties which seemed to stand in 

 the way appear to have been over-rated, for its 

 introduction into Germany, Austria, and other 

 European countries was accomplished with little 

 or no confusion. This Government, therefore, 

 would not enter upon an untried experiment if 

 its obligatory introduction in all governmental 

 affairs was ordained, as it has been in the coun- 

 tries named. 



The subject of a reform of our system of 

 weights and measures engaged the attention of 

 Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Adams, and 

 in Congress the reports of Messrs. John A. Kasson 

 in 1866, Alexander H. Stephens in 1879, and 

 Charles W. Stone in 1896 and 1898 advocated 

 the introduction of the metric system. 



Among my predecessors, Robert J. Walker, in 

 1847, urged it upon Congress, Secretary Chase 

 gave it his support and Secretaries Windom and 

 Foster successively concurred in the favorable 

 recommendation of Secretary of State Blaine. 

 Secretary Carlisle adopted as fundamental stand- 

 ards for the Treasury Department the metric 

 standards prepared at the International Bureau 

 of Weights and Measures, an establishment main- 

 tained by the principal nations of the world. The 

 various States of the Union were, by the action 

 of Congress in 1866, supplied with copies of the 

 principal metric standards. 



All these facts exhibit a consistent endeavor 

 on the part of the executive as well as the legisla- 

 tive branches of our Government, from its founda- 

 tion to the present time, to reform our hetero- 

 geneous metrology. 



As the present time seems most opportune and 

 the matter of great importance, it is recommended 

 that Congress take such action as will bring about 

 the desired end. 



Tlie delegates of the United States to the 

 Pan-American Congress were instructed in 

 1889, by the Secretary of State, as follows: 



1. That the desirability of promoting the 

 establishment of an international system of 

 weights and measures be recognized as a principle 

 of action in legislation. 



2. That the decimal or metric system shall 

 serve as the basis of unification. 



3. That all nations, not already parties to 

 the convention signed at Paris, May 20, 1875, 

 establishing an International Bureau of Weights 

 and Measures, shall become parties thereto. 



4. That the aggregate statistics of inter- 

 national commerce shall be, where it is not yet 

 being done, published also in metric equivalents. 



5. That all invoices shall be made out in 

 metric weights and measures, where weights and 

 measures appear, as far as they relate to the com- 

 merce between the nations participating in this 

 congress, and that the table ot equivalents here- 

 with shall be recognized as legal by the nations 

 taking part in this congress, in converting the 

 customary weights and measures of the United 

 States into metric weights and measures in mak- 

 ing such invoices. 



6. That metric weights be used exclusively 

 in the mints. 



These are but a few of .the recommendations 

 that have been made by the officers of the 

 Government and others in authority from the 

 beginning of the Republic to the present time. 

 To these must be added the efforts of many 

 of the best men of the country in all lines 

 and professions, scientific societies, commer- 

 cial and manufacturing organizations, who 

 have striven to bring order out of chaos, and 

 who have recognized the value and importance 

 of a suitable system of weights and measures 

 to every interest of the country. While these 

 efforts have met with practically the unani- 

 mous approval of all who have given the sub- 



