4 
IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCE 
In the manufacture of lenses and optical instruments it has replaced the old 
system, it is being introduced for the measurement of bullets, and was accepted 
as the sole standard by the international aeronautic association. 
The carat, a unit of mass used for jewels and precious stones, has 22 different 
values ranging all the way from 188.5 mg. to 254.6 mg. In April, 1905, the 
international commission of weights and measures proposed to have the carat 
represented by a mass of 200 mg. Assurance that this proposition will be 
accepted has been given by the association of jewelers in Paris (1905), Germany, 
Antwerp (1906), Prague, Melbourne and Great Britain (1907). 
4. Finally let us return to our own country and look at one of the victories 
won. This case seems of great importance since it flatly contradicts many 
claims by the opponents of the metric system. Let me quote from the American 
Bulletin of Commerce and Trade, Sept. 15, 1907: “About the first of the 
present year the Baldwin locomotive works secured an order for 20 locomotives 
from the Chemin de Per d’Orleans with the understanding that the work was 
to be completed in six months. The work was completed on schedule time and 
the locomotives were shipped during the past month. * h* * railroad 
company supplied the mechanical drawings and these, of course, had all meas- 
urements indicated according to the metric system. There were 500 sheets of 
drawings with an almost countless number of measurements indicated. * * * 
Metric standards were purchased, metric gauges and templets were prepared 
and every workman who was to touch the job was given a jointed meter rule 
graduated to millimeters. It is an interesting fact * * ^ that not the least 
difficulty was experienced with the use of the new measure from the start 
and that during the entire work there was not an error made which was 
traceable to the change in systems.” 
The superintendent of the works makes the following interesting remarks on 
his experience: “It was a matter of short time delivery. The locomotives had 
to be done. We found that the men took to the metric system without any 
trouble at all. With them to use it once was to understand it. We found that 
the liability to make mistakes was less and that the decimal arrangement of the 
measures greatly facilitated the work.” He also states that there would be no 
great loss to the manufacturers due to the change of the master dies, templets 
and the like and that to use again his own words, “if the metric system were 
suddenly adopted, say next week, it would not disturb manufacturers to any 
appreciable extent. * * * Arguments which are advanced by those who 
oppose the system do not take into account shop practice.” 
A practical demonstration as this is indeed of much more value than all 
assertions of a hypothetical nature on either side. Let us hope that our 
manufacturers will have soon many more such lessons. 
5. In conclusion your committee submits to you the following resolution with 
the request that if it is passed copies of the same be forwarded to the members 
of Congress from the State of Iowa, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Com- 
merce and Labor and to the members of the House Committee on Coinage, 
Weights and Measures: 
RESOLUTION. 
Whereas, The metric system possesses great advantages over the system now 
in common use and is being adopted more and more throughout the world, and 
