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T H E JOURNAL OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Vol. 14, No. 4
Progress in Metric Standardization’ By Eugene C. Bingham CHAIRMAN, METRICCOMMITTEE, AXERICANCHEMICAL
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SOCIETY
UR report in the October issue of THISJOURNAL showed copper wire is not the same as a No. 12 iron wire, etc. The that out of 195 universities heard from to date, 194 nations we trade with all use the metric system except the were ready to change current practice in order to gain British Empire and it can hardly continue the present system the advantages of metric standard packages. This was so nearly when all the other nations use the metric system. World a “quantitative yield” that it was feared that those opposing standardization promotes intercourse and understanding and, the movement were refraining from expression; so a letter was therefore, tends toward world peace. Would it not be well for our SOCIETY to join with other engineering societies and investisent out asking all t o reply even if opposed to the SOCIETY’S proposal. As a result, over a hundred additional colleges have gate carefully just how much it would cost to make the change? been heard from, without a single dissenting voice. The colleges Take the chemical industry, for example. It was said by opporemaining to be heard from certainly constitute a minority of nents of change that all our bottles and containers were blown the American colleges and it is not probable that they are all in expensive molds, which could not be changed, to hold 4 oz., opposed t o our proposal. If it can be established that practi- 8 oz., 16 oz., etc., and that they could not be used for metric packcally all of the colleges and universities in America are buying ages. The facts known to every chemist are that chemicals differ their chemicals in metric units as a part of a general campaign in specific gravity, and 16 oz. of each chemical do not just fill a for the adoption of the metric system it should have great 16-02. bottle. On the contrary, the bottles now in use are entirely suited to hold chemicals put up in standard packages. weight, for the universities are recognized leaders of thought. The committee had been warned that those favoring the But if glass manufacturers started a t any time to make ZOO-, metric system were “crank professors” and that “practical men” 300-, 400-, 500-cc. bottles, etc., they would also be entirely were thoroughly opposed to it. Feeling that this opposition satisfactory. The facts may need reiteration, but they seem not to have was greatly overestimated the committee has begun a canvass of certain firms who are supposed t o be purchasers of pure escaped the notice of most American business men. A chief chemicals. The replies are still coming in, but of the 300 re- engineer writes : ceived to date 6 are frankly opposed, 16 are not interested, I an1 very much pleased to have your circular letter or hTovemhaving gone out of business, or being non-purchasers of pure ber 28 indicating that a t least some concrete effort is being made chemicals, etc. This leaves 268 (Table I) who are heartily in t o put into practical operation the use of the metric system. I favor of our proposal so that they are willing to change their am an ardent supporter of this movement and am impatient t o method of buying pure chemicals and apparatus so far as may be have the system put into general use in the country. However, I realize the senseless opposition in certain quarter3 and am glad necessary t o meet our suggestion. Of the total, then, those to see any sort of beginning made, no matter how small, towards frankly opposed number less than 3 per cent. With this start the adoption of the system. I will gladly see that ail orders for it seems probable that the great majorityaf the business firms chemical supplies are made in the metric system as far as this of the country buying pure chemicals will line up with us, which company is concerned. is as gratifying as it is surprising in view of current opinion to From a highly successful glass maker we have, “We manufacthe contrary. ture all of our chemical laboratory glassware to metric units, Some of the firms opposing our proposal are very bitter, and shall in the future order our laboratory chemicals and stating that the adoption of the metric system will cost amounts apparatus as far as practicable in metric units.” running into hundreds of thousands of dollars for each firm. The director of research of a powder company writes: Mr. Theodore H. Miller, of the De Lava1 Separator Co., states that his plant is now completely on a metric basis. The cost I am pleased to have the opportunity of cooperating in the of the change does not even appear in the finished product. It excellent work that the Metric System Committee is doing. Khile I have no authority t o speak for the company, yet I did not cost as many hundreds of dollars as the hundreds of can assure you that so far as our Research Department is conthousands prophesied. We believe that these people have been cerned, we will endeavor to use metric quantities in our orders deliberately misinformed by those who say that with the adop- for laboratory chemicals, and I regard this as a perfectly rational tion of the metric system even the plumbing in our houses will step, in view of the fact that we use these chemicals entirely in have to be changed. The gage of our railways, and even the metric quantities. The old system of buying a reagent by the pound and then weighing it out by the gram seems somewhat couplings between the cars will, according to these misinformers, illogical, and I feel that we are taking a step in the right direction have to be altered. Because 16l/$ in. do not come out an in now purchasing our laboratory chemicals in standard metric even number of centimeters, they would doubtless maintain packages. The large number of companies and educational institutions that a man who wears a 16l/2 collar would have to change his which have already agreed to help in this work is an excellent neck with the adoption of the metric system, quite oblivious of augury of success. I have been greatly interested in noting the the fact that nature does not provide mankind with necks having impetus which this movement has had since your committee dimensions in even half inches to suit a divinely instituted started its work, and I wish to congratulate you on the excellent results achieved. English system. The opposing letters do not give any argument against the The president of a dyestuff works says: metric system except professing to be appalled a t the cost. They We are heartily in favor of the adoption of the metric system forget the cost of not adopting it. Dr. Wolf states that i t costs and, of course, like everybody else, we use it exclusively in what us unnecessarily a million years in a generation t o educate our we may term internal work. We have not now and never did children in the English system. It costs us much in foreign have an ounce or pound weight or scale in our research or checktrade and in inconvenience. One prominent engineer reports ing laboratory. We quote prices on our products by pounds a cost to him personally of $10 per week by not having the because we have to. We purchase by the pound, in most cases, metric system, because we specify particular gage numbers for because prices are so quoted, but we would willingly scrap all the beams and weights in,the pound system from each and every different materials instead of specifying in mm. A No. 12 set of scales in our place and purchase metric beams and weights if we could. 1 Received January 5, 1922.
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April, 1922 TABLE*-LIST
T H E JOURNAL OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY OF
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TECHNI‘CAL FIRMSWHICH WILL HEREAFTERPURCHASE PURECHBMICALSAND CFIEMICALSUPPLIESAS FARAS PRACTICABLE IN METRICUNITS (PRELIMINARY)
Aetna Portland Cement Co. Agawam Chemical Works Alameda Sugar Co. Albert Pick & Co. American Chemical & Mfg. Corp. American Diamalt Co. American Hard Rubber Co. American Hominy Co. American Lithographic Co. American Magnesium Carp. American Medical Products Co. American Oak Leather Co. American Pharmaceutical Co. American Platinum Works American Rubber & Tire Co. American Steel & Wire Co. Anaconda Lead Products Co. Annleton . .- C - oAssociated Oil Co. Atlantic Chemical Works, Ltd. Atlantic Refining C o . Atlas Chemical Co. Atlas Mineral Products Co.
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Batavia Rubber Co. Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Co. Beaver Board Companies Beckett Paper Co. Berger & Wirth Bethlehem Foundry & Machine co. R. F. Goodrich Co. Big Four Canning Co. Bird-Archer Co. Blue Ridge Talc Co. Boal’s Rolls Corp. Bonner Portland Cement Co. Bowker Insecticide Co. Boydell Bros. White Lead & C:alor c o . Brier Hill Steel Co. Burmus Paper Co. Inc. By-products Coke‘ Corp. California Central Creameries California Ink Co., Inc. Canfield Oil Co. Cape Girdrdeali Portland Cement Co. Central Indiana Gas Co. Cereal Products Co. Charles F. Gledhill Co. Cbas. W.Youne & Co. Chatcaudag Or
