74 ° 
Our Measures and Our Standards. [December, 
the Measures, as you would create more work for the 
Standards Office”; or, “ Do not interfere with the Standards, 
we cannot spoil the Measures of the nation.” 
The dilemma is apparently triumphant for the anti-pro- 
gressists ; actually it is not. Beyond it comes the insuffi- 
cient argument “ Let well alone,” to which we reply we are 
willing to do so, but do not agree to “ let bad alone.” Also 
there is Mr. Gladstone’s argument : “ We have at present 
more important matters requiring attention,” &c. — a plea for 
perpetual inadtion with regard to any subjedl at all periods, 
that fails to justify dawdling and negledt. This, too, forces 
us to the conclusion that a permanent Board of Examiners 
should be specially constituted to deal with the large num- 
ber of measures affebting the public welfare, convenience, 
subsistence, and progressive development, that are not suffi- 
ciently interesting to parliamentarian and party politicians. 
But to return to the main subjedt, — the amount of 
necessary improvement in our Standards and their system- 
atisation. 
A mere colledtion of Standards, as simple representative 
units of measure for purposes of reference in comparison, 
does not satisfy the just demands of the nation ; it is neces- 
sary that their inter-dependence throughout should be formed 
on some clear simple principles, in order to frame a system ; 
otherwise we cannot compute or pursue calculations in- 
volving units of different sorts without needless labour and 
risk of error. Now calculating is as much a necessity of 
existence as measuring, and a system of Standards should 
be rendered fully suited to both purposes, for twenty-six 
millions of human beings should not be condemned to per- 
petual needless calculation, whether it be on the binary or 
on the decimal system. 
The principal hindrance to easy calculation Consists in the 
want of simple inter-dependence between the various classes 
of measures — the classes of length, surface (cubic or solid), 
weight, and capacity ; hence when we proceed to compound 
classes — as power, pressure, irrigation, and many other 
compound terms of importance in Statistics, Returns, &c. — 
the difficulties cease to be inconveniences ; they become 
serious stumbling-blocks, which cannot be removed until the 
first five classes are properly systematised. 
There is only one general method under which this can be 
done — the geometrical method. 
Some simple standard unit of length, when squared, 
should form a standard unit of surface ; when cubed, should 
form a standard unit of cubic measure when solid, and a 
