THE METRIC SYSTEM.

Evening Star, Issue 18999, 22 July 1925, Page 12

THE METRIC SYSTEM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Reading your article on the metric system, I halted where you said that you were not aware tliat the present system had ever been defended. Is it not a fact that Herbert Spencer, one of tiie greatest of English intellects, defended it, and opposed the metric system? Further, so much was he opposecV-to the metric system, did ho not leave instructions in his will that hisrreasons for opposing it-should he published at any and every time a serious attempt should be made in England to introduce the metric system? I hope I am not under any delusion in saying this, but I seem to have a distinct recollection of reading this in the Now Zealand newspapers at or about the time of Spencer's death. Trusting to my recollection' of what appeared in the newspapers, Spencer’s argument was something hire this:— "Whatever may be said againa tuo present .ystem of weights and measures, including measures of lime, it has a basis in reason, inasmuch as it has been naturally evolved from objects around about us, including the movements of the heavenly bodies, whereas the metric system is purely an arbitrary and arr.ificiai one, na.-ing no c.un.ierparf in Nature or in (be facts I of astronomy. I hope ( 'itn-n not in ignorance mu.-stated Spencer's position. Who is right 1 am not competent to say. I merely want,‘l to point out that the present systi-o has had at least one very eminent r.'eiendor.— i , JM. July 21.