Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 64.djvu/409

Rh for this purpose. It would require the majority of the nations of the civilized world to change their standard, with all the expense that this implies, for the sake of saving expense to English and American mechanical engineers and capitalists. For the sake of international uniformity such a conference might well be undertaken, although with the assurance that the continental engineers and capitalists would not regard the subject from our standpoint.

Objection has often been made to the nomenclature of the metric system, which is thought to be too diffuse, too high sounding and scholastic to appeal to the masses. Such names as hectare and kilometer are unwelcome to the farmer, who is well satisfied with his acres and miles. There is no good reason to prevent any needed modification in nomenclature so long as the fundamental units and the decimal relation between them are preserved. In our decimal currency the eagles, dimes and mills are for the most part forgotten, while dollars and cents are enough for most purposes. No great inconvenience has resulted from the use of the word 'nickel' for a five-cent piece, or the alleged 'pennies' and Californian 'bits' in the nomenclature of small change. Those who are habituated to the use of the metric system rarely ever speak of decimeters or dekameters, or decigrams or myriagrams. The fathers could not provide for an indefinite future. Elasticity is necessary, and new subordinate units are certainly allowable as long as they serve any useful purpose.

In conclusion, those who advocate the introduction of the metric system will need to be patient and considerate. Those who oppose it must look to the future as well as the present. The well-worn query, 'What has posterity done for me?' is good enough for the local politician but unworthy of the statesman.