The principal unit of the measures of volume is the cubic metre, which is a cube whose sides measure one square metre each. Therefore A cubic metre = 1,000 cubic decimetres. A cubic decimetre 1,000 cubic centimetres. = A cubic centimetre = 1,000 cubic millimetres. These are the only measures used. To read 9 cubic m. 369274 divide the decimal parts into sets of three figures thus— These measures are based on the measure of length, just as the square measures are. The litre is the standard. If you want to express a quart in inches, the only way you can do so is to say that it is 69.3185 cubic inches. In the metric system we simply say: A litre is a cubic decimetre. If you construct a hollow cubic decimetre, fill it with water and then pour the water into a litre, you will find that the liquid just fills the vessel. A litre holds rather less than a quart measure. A litre is only another name for a cubic decimetre, and a kilolitre for a cubic metre. The litre is the principal unit used in retailing liquids, grains, seeds, &c. A wholesale trader would measure by dekalitres or hectolitres, a retailer by litres, half litres, and decilitres. (7) Add together: 3 hectolitres, 397 decilitres; 2732 litres 37 centilitres; and 37 dekalitres 27 decilitres 5.-WEIGHTS. A gramme is the weight of a 1 kilogramme 1,000 kilogrammes or 1 million c. cm. cubic centimetre of distilled water, therefore, 1 litre Here the gramme is the unit. or 1,000 c. cm.; 1 kilolitre = = 10,000 grammes 10 Decigramme Centigramme Milligramme Quintal Tonne The notation is exactly the same as for metres, thus : (1) If a litre of wine weighs 980 grammes, what is the weight (in kilogrammes) of the wine in a cask containing 220 litres ? (2) Convert 378,654 metres into kilometres CHAPTER XXX THE METRIC SYSTEM-Continued Comparison of the Metric and British Systems.From the preceding explanation and tables it will be seen that in the metric system all the measures of length, weight, surface, and solidity are definitely and simply related to the metre—the measure of length; in fact, only one kind of measure is used for everything, instead of the bewildering array of measures in use in England, such as wine measure, ale measure, timber measure, apothecaries' weight, troy weight, avoirdupois weight, coal weight, hay and straw weight, wool weight, and so on ad infinitum. Contrast the sweet simplicity of the metric system with our own cumbrous methods. Take up a local paper and look at the market reports. You will find that at Billingsgate pickled cod is quoted so much "a barrel," trawl cod so much "each," large hooked cod so much "a score," and crimped cod so much "per lb."; shrimps are sold by "the stone,” soles by "the pair," Dutch smelts by "the basket," and English smelts by "the 100." At Grimsby they deal differently; there fish are mostly sold by "the box and "the last." Butter in Ireland is sold by "the cask" and by "the firkin"; in England by "the lb." of sixteen ounces, by "the roll" of twentyfour ounces, by "the stone," and by "the hundred weight," which is not 100 lbs. but 112 lbs. Potatoes are dealt in by "the sack” and "the load." In London and Liverpool wheat and maize are sold by "the quarter" and by "the cental." "the cental." Wool is sold in country districts by "the stone" (141 lb. in England, 24 lb. in Scotland), "the tod," and "the pack." Analysing the quantities of the various denominations only makes confusion doubly confounded. What is a load"? A load of straw is 1,296 lb. ; a load of cold hay is 2,016 lb.; and a load of new hay 2,160 lb. Then what is " a firkin"? A firkin of butter is 56 lb.; a firkin of soap, 64 lb.; and a firkin of raisins, 112 lb. A "hogshead" of beer is 54 gallons, but a hogshead of wine is 63 gallons. A barrel of flour (American) is 196 lb.; of soap, 256 lb.; of gunpowder, 100 lb.; of anchovies, 30 lb.; of beer, 36 gallons; of coal tar, 25 gallons; of oats, 14 stone; and of barley, 16 stone. Again, in apothecaries' weight there are only 12 ounces to the lb., and in avoirdupois weight 16 ounces to the lb. ; thus, those who buy by avoirdupois like to sell by apothecaries' weight—and see what an advantage they get ! A pipe of Marsala wine is 93 gallons, of Madeira, 92 gallons; of Bucellas, 117 gallons; Port, 103 gallons; and of Teneriffe, 100 gallons. A stone weight of living man is 14 lb., but a stone weight of dead ox is 8 lb. A stone weight of cheese is 16 lb.; of glass, 5 lb. ; of hemp, 32 lb. A stone of flax at Belfast is 163 lb., but at Downpatrick, 24 lb.; whilst a hundredweight of pork is 8 lb. heavier at Belfast than it is at Cork-another injustice to Ireland! It is needless to give further illustrations of this kind, although it could be carried on for a long time. The following graphic illustration will suffice to pourtray the advantages of the decimal system over the ordinary system :— We want to reduce 987,654,321 inches to leagues. Now, the only way we can do it, under the present system, is this:-We must begin by dividing all these figures by twelve, to get them into feet : then divide the product by three, to make yards of them; next divide by five-and-a-half, to get them into poles; another division by forty will show how many furlongs there are; then, if our brains will stand it (remember that we are already dealing with fractions in the quotient), we must divide by eight, which will give the miles, and lastly by three, to give the leagues. If we have made no mistake, we shall have arrived at a satisfactory result, thus: 12) 987,654,321 But if we desire to arrive at the same result under the metric system, allowing the same denominations, but considering each a decimal, no calculation is necessary, no sum, no puzzling and addling of children's brains with a system which they have not the capacity to learn, and ought never to have to be taught, but placing a point on the left-hand side of the figure 6, we have the number of leagues, whilst the six figures on the right of the point furnish the decimal fractions, thus : 987.654321 meaning 987 leagues, 6 miles, 5 furlongs, 4 poles, 3 yards, 2 feet, 1 inch. Is it reasonable, making Board schools at the rate we are, that we should addle the brains of children in this way? We ought all to rise against it. At the Labour Congress held in Glasgow a few years ago, a gentleman, referring to this question, said that three years of a child's school life were taken up in learning the present nonsensical system. If it were a question of even three months it is quite sufficient for some action to be taken. There ought to be an Act of Parliament passed rendering the Metric System compulsory two years after the passing of the Act; and two years after that Act has been in force we shall all of us wonder how we could have been such fools as to have permitted the old system to exist at all.* * From speeches delivered by the late Mr. J. J. Cousins, of Leeds, at meetings of the Association of Chambers of Commerce. |