TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 4981, 3 June 1903, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

No better illustration of tho innate conservatism, of the British chamoney, racter can bo found than weights tho tenacious clinging of

and our people to a system of measures, weights, measures and coinage that is obsolete, complicated, hard to master and difficult to remember, that causes enormous waste of time in school and office and that inflicts incalculable injury upon the external trade of the Empire. For fifty years past. reformers have been endear vourlng to overcome the inertia that makes the oontinuance of such a system possible, but the not result of these labours is disappointingly small. Tho outcome of the agitation is that twice has tho Imperial Parliament made tho adoption of the metric system of weights and measures permissive. In 1895 a Select' Committee of tho House of Commons, after hearing a mass.of evidence on the subject, reported:—(l) That the metric system of weights and measures bo at once legalised for all purposes; (2) that alter the lapse of two years the metric system bo rendered compulsory ■by Act of Parliament; (3) that tho mo-, trio system of weights and -measures be taught .in all public elementary schools as a- necessary and integral, i. part of arithmetic, and that decimals be .introduced at an earlier period of 6he sObool curriculum than is the cake at present. Tho upshot was the passing of a permissive Act and tho carrying out of tine third recommendation, but nothing has yet been don© towards tho compulsory adoption of tho system. At -the Imperial Conference in London in July last, a resolution was passed in favour of the adoption of tho metric system throughout tiie British Empire. Stil!l» nothing further lias been done. There is an influential Decimal Association at work in England; about seventy borough and county councils have petitioned the Board of Trade on the subject; .and over a hundred school,boards,liave passed favourable resolutions and peibitionod the Government in. support of the reform., Tho progress, of the agitation may be viewed as encouraging when it is noted that in 1901 there were only 70 members of Parliament supporting the objects of the Decimal Association, whereas in June 19(M no fewer than 260 had given in thedr adhesion, which number has since grown.to 297.' There is, therefore, some hope of action being taken in the desired direction.

In addition to saving one year’s teaching of arithmetic and 611effect ab'ling commercial * bookon keeping to ho done at a trade. saving of one-third, it has been clearly shown that the adoption of the metric system would have a beneficial effect upon tho foreign trade of Great Britain. British Consuls in foreign, lands have again and again insisted upon this. Thus, in 1894, the Consul at Milan wrote:—“l have no hesitation whatever in stating that tho present system of English weights and measures is detrimental to ’ ■British commercial interests. in.,countries like this, where the decimal, and •■metrical system is in force.” In tho same year, the Consul at Rouen, after ’ having seared for sixteen years in ecu ntrjes using the metric and decimal system, wrote that tho, uncertainty and confusion created by the British system “at times lead to the rejection, by a would-be purchaser, of a British manufacturer’s circular or offers of sale.” Apd so’ on, from more than a score of Consuls' stationed in various countries of Europe, Asia and America. In 1896, the Consul-General at Cairo ‘stated that " Lord 1 Cfoinor ‘ considersthat a very general opinion undoubtedly exists in Egypt that British trade with that country would benefit by the adoption of tho metric ' v: syttem of weights and measures.” .The Board of Trade, in, 1898, received information that large orders for iron bridges had goile from Amsterdami to-Norway—the reasoni being ■ that the contractors, though they would have liked to place the orders in England, were ordering t all their ironwork from the Continent, because tho English measurement of feet.and inches was too complicated for them. Other instances could be cited of the loss of valuable business because of the failure to adopt tho metric system. It may be objected; that this is a matter which English manufacturers and exporters could remedy for themselves, by having special sets of circulars and price-lists prepared for their trade with countries using the metric system; but the fact is that tho existing system of weights and measures is as great a drawback to Home and Inir perial trade as it is to foreign. In the United Kingdom there are five or six different measurements of miles; there are four different kinds of ells, and several different varieties of pounds, stones and cwts. A fodder of , load varies in weight from 19i to 22Jcwts. in different parts of England. Instances could be multiplied;’ but Mr Bass, the brewer t put the matter very forcibly thus iu his evidence before tho Royal Commission on Weights and. Measures: —“ I live within twelve miles of tho city of Lichfield; when I see the , quotations of the prices of corn at Lichfield, I do not know what they moan. I have to make a calculation, just the same as. if I were buying in Hungary by the metzon.” Various Chambers of Oonimercc in * New Zealand have passed the resolutions in favour of the reform metric and decimal system ; . in new a paper was read on the Zealand, subject before tho Chambers of Commerce Conference last year, and a resolution in favour of the reform will probably be proposed at the coming conference. As regards weights it has been suggested that trov weights and measures of capacity should be abolished, and a decimal system of weights substituted. It is embarrassing to everyone concerned that in some articles there arc 12 ounces to the pound, whilst tu others IG, and that bushels of grain should vary in weight on the ratio of their 'specific

density to a standard measure of capacity. For instance, in grass seeds rye grass is sold as 201 b to the bushel, but it may weigh lighter or heavier. With grain, pulse, et-c., we have peas G3lb to the bushel, taros,- maize and wheat GOlb, linseed, potatoes and hour GGlb, rye 's3lb, buckwheat 521 b, barley 501 b, oats, malt and split beans 401 b. The existence of these diversities lead to frequent frauds on producers. A basis for reform may, it is pointed out, be found in the weights of ground pulse, such aa flour, oatmeal, etc. With slice articles,2ooolb is a ton, 1001 b a hundredweight, so to complete the decimal system all that is necessary is to do away with ounces, tho sixteenth of a pound, and in plaeo have a weight which c Of. l l it be still called an ounce, weighing onetonth of a pound, and a smaller weight 100th part of a pound. In tho case of liquids and sauces sold in bottles, a great deal of confusion and fraud would bo obviated were a rule made that thc,y should be sold by weight.

To convert the British coinage into a decimal system, no great coinage change need bo made. A befokm. very simple and effective method was suggested by Mr Phil Nathan in tho course of a recent paper read before tho Foilding Chamber of Commerce. His idea is to

do away with the penny piece, and in its place have a new coin, which might be called a “Victoria,” five of which

would represent throe ponce, 10 sixpence, 20 a shilling, 50 half-a-crown, 100 a crown, 200 half-a-sovoreign, 400 a sovereign. With b now issue of coins tho 3d, 6d, and la would bo called five, ten

and twenty Victoria respectively, but

the crown, half-a-sovoreign and sovereign would retain their present names. Later on now coins could bo Issued representing 500 and 1000 Victorias, which would bo useful but not cumbersome coins. Meanwhile the present coins could be used without any fear of confusion, oven though the older folk clung to tho existing designations. There are only a few difficulties in the way of the adoption of this instalment of reform, and it is to be hoped that the result of discussion will bo tho early enactment of a measure to bring about

tho suggested change. The alteration must, of couj-so, come from tho Homo authorities, who alone mint silver ana

bronze coins; therefore, tho Now Zca- • land agitation should take the form.of representations to the Imperial Government, 1 to tho Board of Trade, and to , the House of Commons. The matter is one of great importance to the whole community. In reply to those who dwell Jipon tho difficulties attendant upon altering the system of money, woignts and measures, it may ho said that tho change was effected without trouble or confusion in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, with gre-at advantage to all concerned, and there is no reason to anticipate any trouble in making the change throughout the British Empire.