THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3O, 1892.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9546, 30 September 1892, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1892.

laHs the fashion amongst Englishmen to say with a smirk of self-satisfaction that the Anglo-Saxon race is among the ■'most Conservative in the world notwithstanding its progressiveness. In nothing is this intense conservatism so plainly shown as in the retention of our present antiquated ' s} rstem of weights, measures, and coinage. Great Britain at this moment stands alone among the civilised nations o£ the world in not adopting the decimal system. The epithets " antiquated and barbarous " were applied to the British system by Sir Philip Magjojs, representing London :at the late Congress of Chambers of Commerce in that city, ancU.it; is impossible to review the past : history of the question and the I enormous disadvantages of the existing system without endorsing his remarks. | The advantages of a decimal system were first brought prominently forward in ■England by Lord Whootesiby in 1824, and since then petitions have been repeatedly presented to Government by chambers of commerce, commercial bodies, bankers, and others, praying for legislation on the subject. In 1847 a step forward was made by the introduction of the florin, which it seems to be generally admitted ought to form the unit of measurement of a decimal coinage which would create the least disturbance in commercial matters • while in 1887 the double florin, or, as it has been called, the British dollar, was coined. There seems to be a general desire not to interfere with the well-known British sovereign, which is favourably known and has a stable value over the entire world of commerce; but it is clear that this presents no difficulty in reducing our coinage to that of the rest of the civilised world. Where the real difficulty lies is in the penny, and such objections as have been urged to the change centre round this coin. For at present the English sovereign is worth, notlooo farthings as it ought to be, but just 960 farthings, and the change must inevitably reduce the value of the penny by 4 per cent. It has been' alleged by successive Chancellors of the Exchequer that the alteration in the value of the penny woidd upset all sorts of existing institutions, such as penny stamps and penny newspapers, but it is surely reasonable to suppose that these matters would one and all readjust themselves within a very short space of time, especially when it is remembered that our bronze coins are after all mere tokens in the strictest sense of the word. Now, assuming that for the sakeof retaining the sovereign unaltered we were to take the florin as the unit of measurement, the coinage would stand as follows: —

In order to carry out this change the following alterations alone would be necessary: Pour more farthings would be added to the florin, since the farthing would be the one-thousandth part of the sovereign, instead of as now the nine hundred and sixtieth part, while the threepenny bit, Avhich is in antagonism to the decimal system, would disappear, and be replaced by a coin to be called a dime, worth 10 instead of 12 farthings. At the same time the crown and half-crown would cease to circulate, but this would.be little loss to the world. It seems that the mercantile world in Great Britain have already succeeded in getting the metric system introduced into all the schools under tho dominion ol: the. London School Board, so that the pupils will have ' some ■ knowledge of that system of weights and measures before they enter the higher classes, and such a step as this is a great one towards a general familiarity witli a decimal system among the rising generation. |

ITor while the difference ol: our bar- j barons system of coinage from that of all the rest of the civilised world puts us at a very serious disadvantage in trade, it is comparatively nothing compared to the real injury and loss caxiscd by bur weights and measures. As the matter was well put by Sir Piump Magnus: "There is no exact relation between the unit of manufacture, the unit of capacity, and the unit of mass —such relations as we know exist, and arc easily understood, in the metric system." Moreover, there is no difference of opinion in the question of the metrical system of weights and measures as to what unit of measurement is the best, since every nation is absolutely agreed that the metric system of weights and measures which is adopted in France is the best system, and there can be no difference in questions of value. Curiously enough the metric system of weights and measures is universally adopted in all scientific matters, even the most simple, question being solved under this method. The first thing, therefore that a young student in science has to do when he commences scientific study, is to throw over all he has learned of the weights and measures most commonly used in the country and learn a new one. It is difficult to say to what extent such a method of education handicaps the young. The resolution carried at the Congress was as follows: — " That the introduction of a decimal system of Aveights, measures, and money is urgently needed in order to increase our foreign trade, facilitate commerce, and render elementary education more effective and less expensive." It is difficult to state in words the enormous difficulties that we place in the way of the young by adhering to the present cumbrous method of weights and measures, which is the terror alike o£ the teacher and the taught, and when learned, has. to be speedily unlearned as soon as the youth begins to have dealings with any nation but his own. Nature herself has been beforehand, as it has well been remarked, in giving us a decimal system with four fingers on each hand and one thumb. Anyone who is familiar with children commencing their education will notice that they habitually, and by a sort of instinct, begin to count on their fingers, and it is usually the first duty of a teacher to break them of this easily acquired habit. The truth is, the children are right and the teacher is wrong-, if only our ridiculous .system 'were-altered. It has been calculated that the labour of many clerks would be saved in large banks and commercial houses if the decimal system were adopted all round; and though this maj r be thought an evil when the question of finding work for the unemployed is one of the problems of the day, it will undoubted commend itself to commercial men and large employers of clerical labour. There is little or no doubt that the decimal system will ere long be in general use in Great Britain, and this is worth remembering by those actively engaged in educational matters. There is really no sense in persevering with our present absurd method, and we do but proclaim an era of peace and goodwill in the junior classes of our schools when we advise the authorities to announce that the decimal system is alone to be taught in New Zealand, leaving our avoirdupois and troy weights, our lineal and apothecaries' measures, to be the study of the curious scholar, not the torture of the youth of the colony.

In the Legislative Council yesterday the Dairy Industry Bill and the Mining Companies Act Amendment Bill were passed. The Shop Hours Bill was again postponed. Iv the House of Representatives yesterday most of the afternoon sitting was taken up with a debate on the charges against Mr Luudou in connection with the purchase of Native lands. A number of local bills passed the second-reading stage. In the evening the Native Lands Validation of Titles Bill was read a second time after debate, aud then the Land and Income Tax Assessment Act Amendment Bill was considered in committee. The Houre was left sitting when the telegraph office closed. The northern express train was about an hour behind time in arriving last night, having been delayed by another slight slip at Deep Creek, near Omimi.

At a special meeting of the committee of the Charitable Aid Board, held yesterday, it was resolved—"That if the contributions of the Caversham borough be not paid by October 7, the chairman should take legal proceedings to recover the same." It was further resolved to write to the Minister for Education pointing out that the present is a favourable opportunity for giving effect to the oft-expressed views of the board in regard to the control of the Caversham Industrial School.

Alexander Dickie, the young man who was so severely injured at Caversham on Tuesday while driving a coal cart, died ,at the hospital shortly before 3 o'clock this morning. It is supposed he was kicked in the face by one of the horses he was driving. He was about 23 years of age.

A meeting of the Labour Day General Comrcittee was held last night at the Trades Hall, Mr J. A. Millar being in the chair. The committee received a draft programme of the sporbs, &c, which was adopted and ordered to be printed. It was decided to offer prizes for the best trade display iv the procession on Labour Day, and it was also decided to sell the privileges for the publicans' and refreshment booths, &c.

Cr Ruston will be a candidate for the Caversham mayoralty. Cr Hancock is also men-, tiohed as a probable candidate. Cr Henderson, who has been a member of the South Dunedin Council for nine years, will be a candidate for the South Dunedin mayoralty.

The North Otago Times states that a very brave act was performed by a daughter of Mr William Gray, of Pukeuri. Her brother was cleaning out a well about 90ft deep, when by some mischance a ploughshare fell down aud struck him. The lad's sister slipped down the rope and supported her stunued brother until they were brought to the surface together. Her bauds were very much torn by the rope. Her brother received a vasty wouud on the back.

The Rev. W. G. Lawes, F.R.G.S., of New Guinea, who is shortly to visit Dunedin as a deputation from the London Missionary Society, has been labouring in New Guinea for 19 years. Previously he spent 11 years in Niue (Savage Islands), where he translated the New Testament and Psalms into the Niue language. The work on that island was handed over to his brother, the Rev. I<\ B. Lawes, who has ever since resided in Niue, and the work of introducing the Gospel to the people of New Guinea was uudertakeu. Mr and Mrs Lawes were tho first white people to take up their abode on the Now Guinea coast. Long before the British eiisigu was officially hoisted, Mr Lawes, without intentional political significance, had planted a flagstaff by the side of the little mission house from which the British flag floated. It was to unfurl another flag that he and his colleagues went to New Guiuea, and the result has been that Christianity has spread araougst many of the people. A similar work to that done ou Niue has been repeated. The New Testament has been translated by Mr Lawes into the Motu language, and he has just returned from England after carrying this new translation through the press. Just before he left London a copy of tho Motu New Testament, priuted for the London Missionary Society by the British and Foreign Bible Society, was presented by the Duke of Counaught to the Queeu.

Mr H. S. Fish is announced as a candidate for the eifcy mayoralty.

Experiments have, within tho last few days, taken place at Biebrick (says the Globe), in order to prove whether the cuirass could still be relied upon as a protection from rifle fire. Tho cuirasses, one German aud the other French, were placed at a distance of about 220 yards, and fired at with the old needle gun which was used in the wars of 1866 and 1870. The result was that the cuirasses were scarcely even dented. They were next lired at with the "Mauser" rillo, and the dents produced were considerably deeper than those made by tho needle-gun. Lastly, the new small-bore ride, firing a projectile coated with nickel, was tried. | It not only pierced the cuirasses, but cut out portions of the size of a shilling, from which it was inferred that in the presence of the new rifle the cuirass was rather a source of danger than a protection, as, in addition to the bullet, wounds would be caused by pieces of the cuirass.

Sir George R. Dibbs, the Premier of Now South Wales, in an interview with a representative of the Loudon Daily Chronicle, explained how he came to have served 12 months iv gaol, as follows:—"I served my 12 months, and I should have served 12 years if necessary," said Sir George. "By unfair and illegitimate means I was cast in a civil libel suit for over L7OOO. As a protest, and on the advice of my lawyer, I declined to pay the money, and went to prison. My lawyer advised me that if I served the 12 months I would liquidate the claim for L7OOO on me. Afterwards the judges by a majority held this to be bad law. So, although I did my imprisonment, I had to pay up when I came out. I would have appealed to the Privy Council only I was stumped. But upon the whole I had a very good time in prisoD. Being locked up on a civil action, I had my sitting room, my dining room, my books, my turning lathe, and all the rest of it. With my turning lathe I made articles which were sold to defray the debts of other prisoners ; I wrote newspaper articles, and I accomplished an amount of reading for which I have always been thankful. Moreover, I held levees, had all the principal people of Sydney to see me, and, in a word, spent a very good year. My hardship came when I had to pay up the L7OOO, only there was no getting out of it."

A writer in the Engineering Magazine says:—" At a recent township election in Lockport, N.Y., the voting was conducted by means of an automatic voting-machine, the use of which has been legalised by a recent act of the Legislature of the State. The results are stated to have been completely successful, the vote for 64 different candidates on three different tickets having been declared within a few minutes after the close of the poll. There is no doubt whatever that by means of automatic machinery the purity of the ballot might be absolutely ensured and fraud rendered impossible, to say nothing of the advantage of a great saving in time and expense."

The stupid person who plays the "bold highwayman " in the Taranaki district has been up to his pranks again. A Stratford man tells the Egmont Settler that whilst riding quietly along the mountain road last week he was overtaken by a man on a grey horse, the man having a long tow beard. He pulled up close to Mr Murray, and, presenting a revolver at him, said, " Your money or your life." Mr Murray, who was, he said, considerably scared, told him he had no money, but. putting his hand under his coat-tails, said he had something that would do as well. The stranger said, "Pull it out." Mr Murray said, " If I do it will be to put a bullet through your head." Just then Mr Murray's dog sprang at the horse's heels, when the horse commenced to rear and plunge violently, and the man made off, disappearing down a side road. Just then a second man came along, and as his horse passed the end of the road it shied violently, but nothing could be seen. Mr Murray came on to Stratford, and at once informed Constable Leahy, but so far he has not been able to discover anything. Mr Murray says he should know the man's voice and eyes if he met him again, though it was too dark to see how he was dressed.

The correspondent of the Standard reports that the attention of the medical world in Vienna is at present engaged by a series of novel operations which have been performed, as he avers, so far with success, at the University Hospital on persons suffering from hereditary epilepsy. The operators are Dr Benedict, pro"fessor of neurology, and Dr yon Mosetig, professor of surgery. The new method of cure consists in trepanning, or the extirpation of those parts of. the grey matter of the brain in which the seat of illness is supposed to lie. To effect this it is not necessary to open the skull in order to search for the diseased parts of the brain, as Professor Benedict, on the strength of his phrenological studies, believes he has found a rule by svhich the spot of the brain that should be removed can be precisely ascertained after an accurate observation of the particular form of disease. By these means the opening in the skull need not be larger than one centimetre in diameter. Notwithstanding his apparent success, Professor Benedict was careful to state that a conclusive judgment on the new treatment cannot be given for several years, for the reason that epilepsy, after disappearing for some time, often recurs.

Dr Potter has-furnished the British Medical Journal with the report of a committee appointed 12 months since, at the request of a well-known editor, to investigate the alleged cures of cancer by what is known as the system of Count Mattei. The gentlemen who undertook this task were the late Sir M. Mackenzie, Mr Lawson Tait,. and Dr G. W. Potter, and subsequently (after Sir M. Mackenzie's death) Mr H. Reeves, F.R.C.S., and Mr J. Hopkins, F.R.C.S. Dr Potter reports that all but five persons who offered themselves for treatment were refused by the Matteisbs, although selected from those who were in the first stage only of the disease. At an early date Mr Tait seems to have retired in disgust, but a strict weekly observation was made, the result being complete failure. Dr Potter adds that while the chemical analysis of the so-called "electricities " of Mattei by Mr Stokes show that they contain no more active ingredient than distilled water, the clinical results fully confirm the analysis. The British Medical Journal says no other result could have been expected.

A cablegram received yesterday states that Mr Walter Bentley arrived at Hobart, where he received a most cordial welcome. He left the same eveniug for New Zealand, and commences his season in Dunedin next Wednesday.

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