Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 49.djvu/205

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, we have the fourth of a gallon or quart, and, beyond that, we have for wine and beer, the quarter of a quart, or half-pint. Even that does not end the quartering of measures, for at the bar of a tavern quarterns of gin, that is quarter-pints of gin, are sold. Evidently we must have quarters. What do you do about them? Ten will not divide by four.

The Americans have quarter dollars.

And are inconsistent in having them. Just as in France, notwithstanding the metric system, they speak of a quarter of a litre and a quarter of a livre, so in the United States they divide the dollars into quarters, and in so doing depart from the professed mode of division in the very act of adopting it—depart in a double way. For the tenths of a dollar play but an inconspicuous part. They do not quote prices in dollars and dimes. I continually see books advertised at 25c., 75c., $1.25c., $1.75c., and so forth, but I do not see any advertised as $1.3 dimes or 4 dimes, etc. So that, while not practically using the division theoretically appointed, they use the division theoretically ignored.

It may be somewhat inconsistent, but there is no practical inconvenience.

I beg your pardon. If they had a 12-division of the dollar, instead of a 10-division, these prices $1.25 and $1.75 would be $1. .3 and $1. .9. And not only would there be a saving in speech, writing, and printing, but there would be a saving in calculation. Only one column of figures would need adding up where now there are two to add up; and, besides decreased time and trouble, there would be fewer mistakes. But leaving this case of the dollar, let us pass to other cases. Are we in all weights, all measures of length, all areas and volumes, to have no quarters?

Quarters can always be marked as ·25.

So that in our trading transactions of every kind we are to make this familiar quantity—a quarter, by taking two-tenths and flve-hundredths? But now let me ask a further question—What about thirds? In our daily life division by three often occurs. Not uncommonly there are three persons to whom equal shares of property have to be given. Then in talk about wills of intestates one hears of widows' thirds; and in. Acts of Parliament the two-thirds majority often figures. Occasionally a buyer will say—"A half is more than I want and a quarter is not enough; I will take a third." Frequently, too, in medicines where half a grain is too much or not enough, one-third of a grain or two-thirds of a grain is ordered. Continually thirds are wanted. How do you arrange? Three threes do not make ten.

We can not make a complete third.

You mean we must use a makeshift third, as a makeshift quarter is to be used?

No; unfortunately that can not be done. We signify a third by ·3333, etc.

That is to say, you make a third by taking 3 tenths, plus 3 hundredths, plus 3 thousandths, plus 3 ten-thousandths, and so on to infinity!

Doubtless the method is unsatisfactory, but we can do no better.

Nevertheless, you really think it desirable to adopt unversally for measurements of weight, length, area, capacity, value, a system which gives us only a makeshift quarter and no exact third.

These inconveniences are merely set-offs against the great conveniences.