THE RATIONALIZATION OF MONEY, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] • SIR,—Mr. Wigg's letter in the Spectator of March 15th touches a reform long overdue. Our British system of money, weights, and measures has become a, drag on industry. The amount: of time wasted annually in arithmetical calculations which might be avoided must involve our country in great and useless expenditure.
It is in. Education,:however, that the drag of this clumsy system is most intolerably felt. At present teachers in Elementary Schools are condemned to spend the major portion of their time in the thankless task of trying to teach a subject which for difficulty has no equal in the whole curricu- lum. And all this, too, at a time when the pupil's powers of concentration are not yet at their highest. I estimate that children spend not less than two whole years of their school life—dull pupils would need more-7trying to master this absurd system. It is a dull job—Carlyle's ." mental boot- blacking " beautifully, exemplified—both for teacher and
taught.
're pile Pelion on Ossa, these, same unfortunate children
must, before the.age of twelve, shaw that they have a nodding acquaintance with decimals. The reason must remain a mys- tery, for the subject has nothing to recommend it as a special mental exercise; and nine-tenths of its beneficiaries leave school to engage in occupations where decimals will be un- known to all except one or two in special trades.
Your correspondent speaks of the need for better, tools in the hands of industry. I am in agreement with him. , Success would mean a vigorous spring-cleaning of our elementary schools and the removal of much lumber.—I am, Sir, &c., D. BELL. The Schoolhouse, Carr-Bridge, Inverness-shire.
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