Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 64.djvu/405

Rh Electricity as a quantitative science is founded on the metric system. The congress of electricians at Chicago in 1893 fixed the electrical units for the entire world, and these have been legalized by all the governments represented in that congress. In one branch of industry, of great and growing importance, the civilized world is thus united in the use of a common system of measurement. It would probably be hard to find an electrical engineer in England or America who is not in favor of the universal adoption of the metric system.

During the last dozen years there has been a growing popular demand among the commercial classes throughout the English speaking world for the general adoption of the metric system. This demand is not based on any theoretic ground, such as its simplicity and consistency, but on the commercial need of international uniformity. It would have no existence if all civilized nations used the British system. New markets can not be secured if customers are unable to understand the mode of measuring what is bought or must present their specifications in terms that are unsuited to the machinery employed in manufacture. Moreover, those who are already accustomed to a simpler system can not be expected to adopt in its place what is to them complex, unintelligible, indefinite and radically incapable of being made simple. Whatever may be the claims made by those who are accustomed to a bad system of metrology, or who have property that would be made valueless by its abolition, there is scarcely any conceivable prospect of the universal adoption of the British system. In the race for commercial supremacy there is little respect shown for theory, sentiment, old habits or corporate vested interests. The demands of trade must finally be met, even if vested interests should be strong enough to retard satisfactory legislation. The demand for international uniformity will continue to grow. The choice of the whole world has to be made between two systems of metrology, and only two, the British and the metric. All others have been practically eliminated from such a contest. If England and America should completely dominate the trade of the rest of the world the British system will be established; if not, it is doomed. Its total destruction will not be witnessed by any now living, but uniformity of weights and measures for the civilized world is as reasonably to be expected as was the establishment of Jefferson's monetary system throughout the union of American states.

In 1895 a select committee of the house of commons, after carefully considering commercial demands in England, urged upon the government that the metric system be at once legalized and that it be made compulsory by act of parliament after a lapse of two years. A deputation from thirty-nine chambers of commerce, including those of London, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham and Belfast, urged upon Mr. Balfour the importance of carrying out the recommendations of the