ON A SIMPLE DECIMAL SYSTEM FOR ENGLAND. 
259 
Levelling . — Square of miles distance bears the same pro- 
portion to the inches difference of level (owing to earth’s 
curvature) that 58 bears to 9.* 
In surveying, 22 yards wide for a railway or road absorbs 
8 acres per mile. 
It is unnecessary to quote further instances to illustrate the 
use of common factors in units of measure. 
Englishmen are attached to their British inch, pound, and 
gallon ; and the evidence for abolishing them has yet to be 
produced. In the French markets, one still hears the prices 
asked in sous , francs , and demi-francs , and occasionally in 
centimes, and certainly no subdivision of these less than fives. 
In the same way, one may predict that our people will cling to 
the pound, shilling, and pence, the foot, yard, and acre, and 
the pint, gallon, and pipe, long after metres and litres may 
have gained a footing here. 
The arguments used by ultra-decimalists occasionally, rather 
weaken their cause. At the conference of the International 
Decimal Association, one of the principal speakers declared, 
that “ the poor man who went to market for one pound and 
three-quarters of mutton, at sevenpence three-farthings a pound, 
would be sure to be cheated by the butcher.” Let us present 
to this unfortunate victim of rapacity a picture of the new 
safeguard for his protection (which of course could be easily 
explained to the poor man) — 
7f lbs. mutton 
7-75 
at If d. per lb. 
1*75 
3875 
5425 
775 
pence . . . 
13 
5625 
4 
farthings 
2 
2500 
4 
f farthing . 
1|0000 
The correct price which John should pay would therefore be 
13 pence 2 farthings and one-quarter. John, however, would 
probably think (upon consulting the talisman of his forelock) 
that his own way (presumptuous man) was “ far gway ” the best. 
He would reckon thus : two pounds would cost 1 5J<A, a quarter 
* A very heavy deposit at a hank was made recently of 500/. against 
proving the curvature of water ; and this sum was actually forfeited as an 
absurd example of ignorance of the effect of gravity. Had the following 
beautiful ratio (depending upon common factors) been known, 11 the square 
of the minute’s dip of horizon at sea is ~ the feet altitude of the 
observer,” the bettor would have been 500/. better off. 
