[To TRY EDITOR OE TITO "SPECTATOR:9
am glad to notice that the question of Metric Reform is now receiving publicity in your columns in the shape of letters from various correspondents which you have published. Your correspondent "IL," whose letter appeared in your issue of August 6th, seems to have taken a somewhat optimistic view of the tentative steps which have been made in Russia and other countries, and it may interest your readers to know what is the exact position.
Firstly. with regard to Russia. I am informed that the First Section of the Department of Trade and Industry has drawn up a scheme for the introduction of the metric system in Russia, and has submitted it to the various departments.svhich would be affected by such a scheme. On receipt of the replies from these departments, the scheme will be submitted to the Imperial Duma for consideration. From this it will be seen that "H." is somewhat premature in Proclaiming the adhesion of Russia to Metric Reform.
Secondly, with regard to China. The decision of the 'authorities in this country to reform their weights and measures system was announced some time ago, and repre- 'sentations were made both on behalf of the metric weights and measures and also by advocates of the adoption of British units. The decision arrived at was adverse to the latter -gentlemen, the new unit of length having been fixed at .thirty-two centimetres ; their other units bear more or less simple relations to metric measures, but not to British. It is also the intention of the Chinese Government to publish its charges for carriage on the Chinese railways in Chinese and in metric units. It is doubtful whether anything has been .clone in practice in this vast Empire to enforce the intro- duction of the new measures, and it is quite possible that very Jittle progress in this direction has been made, or will be made for some years to come. At the same time, it is obviously the intention of the authorities to introduce the metric system as soon as it can be done practicably.
Thirdly, with regard to Siam. My information from an
• authoritative source shows that the Siamese Government has the intention of proceeding with the reformation of its weights and measures laws. As the metric system is already . obligatory in several departments of the State, and as, moreover, a unit of length equal to two metres exactly has been adopted for the measurement of land, it is certain that the next step will consist of a more complete adoption • of the metric units.
Adverting to an extraordinary letter appearing in your lane of the following week, which asserts that the " pro- snetrists are beaten to a standstill," I can only say that the information given above, though it may represent but little in the way of immediate steps in the world-wide introduction of the metric system, would appear to give the direct con- tradiction to this rash statement. Moreover, I think that the Association that proposes to "drive the metre and its derivatives from the positions they now occupy" will have not a little difficulty in carrying out this ambitious programme, as the metric system is so firmly rooted in this country alone that it would be a practical impossibility for many firms to carry on their business without using metric terms. It would • be interesting to know what alternative to our present jumble of weights and measures bhe opponents of the metric system • offer as a solution of the problem.
Some- few years ago a scheme, based on the inch as the principal unit, and involving almost as much trouble in its introduction as the metric system would, was widely advocated; but I believe that the idea was very hastily dropped, and that the Society which advocated it has not dared since those days to advocate any other " crank " scheme.
I fear that Mr. F. M. Hunt, whose letter appears in your issue of the 20th, does not fully appreciate the enormous difficulty of changing our system of notation from a decimal to a,duodecimal base. I should be glad to send leaflets bearing on this subject to any of your readers who care to apply for Finsbury Court, Finsbury Pavement; B.C.
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