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METRIC SYSTEM RECOMMENDED. | he Franklin Institute, of Philadelphia, Pa., recently inted a special committee to consider the advisability | feasibility of the adoption of the metric system ughout the United States. This committee recom- nded that the system be adopted. The principal argument in favor of such action is that very civilized country in the world except this one and eat Britain uses the metric system; consequently, its doption by this country would greatly facilitate interna- onal commerce and extend the international character scientific terminology. ‘The chief argument against the metric system is that the natural mental process in king computations is to divide everything by two—a t being divided into halves, quarters, eighths, sixteenths, tc.—and that the metric system is not based on this nat- ral human propensity, being a decimal system. ‘This remely practical basis. Our monetary system is decimal, but no difficulty has been found in dividing the funda- yental unit (the dollar) into halyes and quarters. More- ver, it is indisputably true that a reasonable experience with any system of measures will render the use of the system automatic and fluent. It is natural for human ngs to convey food to the mouth by means of the igers—watch any three-year-old eat unrestrained—but it oes not require an enormous amount of education to interact that tendency. Even if the natural tendency to bisect quantities be con- sidered as an important factor, it would justify only a part of our present units of weights and measures, nota- the inch, pound and bushel. ‘To be consistent in this iew, the yard should. contain either two or four feet, and e foot should contain eight, sixteen or thirtv-two inches. imilarly, the mile should be divided into 2,048, 4,096, 8,192 r some other number of feet that would make the foot or yard the result of successive halvyings, and there should e 32 gallons in a barrel. The fact that although these ery mixed standards are not consistent with the bisecting heory, they have been used for years without much diffi- Ity, is ample confutation of the claims made for the natural tendency.” Jn order to conform to this tendency, most of the present system of weights and measures ould have to be revised, causing the same confusion and etriment to manufacturers that would be entailed by hanging to the metric system. And after it was all over should still labor under the disadvantage—as we do ow—of haying a system that would not be smoothly teroperative with any foreign system, and one that would amper export relations, just as the present system does, onsequent necessity for conversion into their system. Next in importance after the international feature of he metric system comes the ease of computation. It is bvyiously much easier to convert centimeters into meters han it is to convert inches into feet or yards; in the first se one merely points off two places of decimals, while n the other division by 12 is necessary, of course. But 1¢ chief facility comes in the transition from one set of leasures to another. ‘Thus, a cubic centimeter of water eight just one gram at maximum density; a liter is a ubic decimeter, and so on. And the bisecting practice an be, and is, applied within reason to the metric system; is quite common to speak of a demi-kilogram, which is ry nearly equal to our pound. . A sudden change to the. metric system would undenia- be tremendously expensive and troublesome at the set to American manufacturers, and this would seem to by far the greatest drawback to its adoption. It is imed by advocates of the change that it could be effected so gradually that no serviceable machinery &nd tools would need to be sacrificed, and whatever expense there might be ould be distributed over a period of such length as to ake it practically unfelt. At best, however, the inconven- ence would be enormous; but the benefit to inernational ommerce and engineering would appear to be incalcula- le—American Electrician. ; — or THE ILLINOIS TO REPRESENT US. ‘The Illinois alone will be present at the coronation of ing Edward VII. to represent the American navy. This s the result of a notice sent by Great Britain to the State epartment that each power would be allowed only one hip. No reason was assigned, but it is supposed that the ost of entertaining a large number of naval vessels of all ations was feared to be too great for the British purse. Accordingly the Illinois will sail from Hampton Roads ome time next month for England as the flagship of \dmiral Crowninshield, assigned to command the Euro- pean station. Naturally there is great disappointment nong the officers of the navy who had anticipated partici- ion in many social doings and who had prepared ac- ordingly. ‘The fleet was to have consisted of the Illinois, incinnati, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, and Nash- ille. The request for limitation of representation was mveyed in a formal invitation received by the State De- ttment and by it turned over to the Navy Department. ¢ OO OO uz Srrriinc Co., Manufacturers of the Niclausse Water be Boiler, made a shipment of boilers last week to tto Rico from its Barberton, O., plant. It required 41 rs to make the shipment. I a ee gument is a very academic one, notwithstanding its su-.- y reason of the refusal of foreigners to learn it and the’ MONTHLY SHIPBUILDING RETURNS. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF NAVIGATION, Marc The Bureau of Navigation reports 112 vessels of 59,592 gross tons were built in the Un bered during the month of March, 1902, as follows: at EEC aa ae a ‘ woop. We “STEEL, SAIL. ‘ STEAM. SAIL. No. Gross. No. Gross. No. Gross. No. Atlanticiand Gulf. sss 54 3.919 21 133°, I 228 To PACING wl! hee Roce yee ce as eee 2 1,183 3 LRA alles sven lpnie on staple anes Hawaile oo, ee | oa ean ir HO cal HN Panta anagem Great Wakes. 000 ic ot ss ce es mallee eet eyecare 2 (Ne faseli ences iiaiesentere 9 Western Rivers ooo el alte oe ol 9 BOOL ctr nl omen erecrdaene Ota, ce eet eee 56 5,102 36 1,726 i oe 228 19 : The largest steel steam vessels included in these figures are: 5 Co, NAME. GROSS TONS. ; WHERE BUILT. : KOrea vrs. l aes Fol aie nara a ae i Ble dr Loomer Cara teach ore ... Newport News, Va......... MER ROSO S. Co. William H. Gratwick."............ vi lpey do easier ais hamoertries ett Cleveland, Ohio......... eanicxiee 'g. Co. INGVECE. 855 5S Sain aceemieee AMOS Gs aca taie Meera (hs GG Camden, N. J...... American and Hawaiian S. S. Co. _F. M. Osborne...... Naps eats ASB (10 isc sch ssaiea aba cha ceaeaiabeieneiaceone Lorain, Ohio...... bupibllaccacs Pratik Wiss Paar torcsci sister. seins gute RUAN Ooud ie anise sars sense a Ae Se pe HATE O PNA Ries CEIWeWatsOnicto an daca as A OG win ec scone wae cues eee ss SSIES FRR cata oA Eo Ne Saundersiys car eee ee wees cio BBOR Re oe eiste en ean carte wmancace iE a dbs slejcea ok gee é Gi Grammer.) enc tos pours SOLA cee ts ete cite oes . West Superior, Wis............. Superior Ship Bld’g. Co. | ae Ss “ e * oe % Sultana. soa ees aayatensned a hartree AROMA Mit scaberie vhs ocriaetaniekretarn Se asegavehe wie ice ats = SS en a The foregoing figures do not include craft without motive power of theirown. From other sources than construc- tion one vessel, the Vineta, of 668 gross tons, of foreign wreck, was added to the merchant fleet. : QUARTERLY SHIPBUILDING RETURNS. The Bureau of Navigation reports 232 sail and steam vessels of 90,995 gross tons built in the United States and officially numbered during the quarter ended March 31, 1902, as follows: WOOD. STEEL. SAIL.” STEAM i SAIL. STEAM. No. Gross. No. | Gross. No. Gross. No. Atlantic and Gulf................ 109 | 11,726 49 2,654 3 5,260 17 ) og Vey hd OU Rai err nae a Sy AEA na atti 12 6,824 TD Oe ROT | a eee alten yees ania kage : PR aatiencie ct sii See Sali acess Be AS: I TF Me SESE Reveasasee oe meres [aie eres Great Lakes: se aie I 12 3 TP Ne eee Scien: Western: Rivers Soi sia iN ae eee 14 Ye eel Ps cas aaa Rae eyes cs I otal eee as ou ee 122 | 18,562 79 5,022 cm | 5,260 28 : yer a ¥ BS During the corresponding quarter ended March 31, 1go1, 185 sail and steam vessels of 67,744 gross tons were built in the United States ard officially numbered, as follows: woop. STEEL SAIL STEAM SAIL “No Gross. : No. Gross. No Gross No Atlantic and Gulf............6... 81 14,578 | 37 1,714 I 1,120 POLLO RICO: ee Ss RN rsa SNe ae once ES g oetort el [ea cueta e aald's (je od acid. cell aes taedeane: soul eset oa aun areas ae Pacific. 225s e Sinden een 9 ANG |) ALT TiO672 lice ea eens are Greatvbakes 524. Sans aatig sol ees epee te oe 6 1,969 2 3,888 Western Rivers .............--++- 5 132 II Tj Q2Gis || wi .cths ssl Sate aces roles leetar aet e lhe eect amet Motel cae See ine veh 95 | 19,027 71 6,584 Ble 5008s 16 NINE MONTHS SHIPBUILDING RETURNS. The Bureau of Navigation reports 949 sail and steam vessels of 245,068 gross tons built in the United States and officially numbered during the nine months quarter ended March 31, 1902, as follows: WOOD. STEEL. z : TOTAL, Sab | STEAM. SAIL. STEAM. No |_ Gross. No. Gross. No. Gross. No. Gross. No Gross ' Atlanticsand Gulfec2 cs. 453 | 51,449 183 12,858 5 8,869 39 680 | 131,gco Porto Rico... oe ee ee 2 Ba hohe AN Seb avallliteeiave &o lPadaran cies all nua she ost a eee eseeen 2 PACICH: oo eet ee ew ire iss 27 \OT, 254) 44 Hy bstohetalte ecu ryt rir tac 82 DER Thine eRe CER Reis amen ara IEAM Sancneclhcp hac hee I be aces Iara agree a nies PA Ma EIA ceri I Great takes oo ae cnr. fre 6 161 45 DOB sive elles wares 25 76 Western Rivers sc hiss. 3 tees 6 1T4 99 CLOAO Fe eas 108 TOtdlink. sce. ee ee 504 | 73,012 372 | 26,410 5 8,869 68 | 136,755 | 949 | 245,068 During the corresponding nine months ended March 31, 1901, 753 sail and steam vessels of 246,973 gross tons were built in the United States and officially numbered, as follows: WOOD. STEEL. TOTAL, SAIL. STEAM. SAIL. STEAM. No. Gides. No. Gross, No. Gross. No, Gross. No. Gross. Atlantic:and Gulf sici6.. O20 ee: 328 | 58,754 123 7,506 7 15 10,082 26 47,747 484 | 124,079 Porto Rico: cosa ce ee is SS Ne Ss SN tits Sia [TREE NG rake id wtta| ott ie oral are etait oat sek cuenta aes Pacifica. ees oe a ee eee cote 35 | 18,296 44 FTQOv Ne Bile ea 4 31,522 Great Lakesunucgs oc ee eee 5 108 380 2.551 3 6,678 25} ° 83,367 Weatern Rivers: 022220. Se 46 847 76 6,596 seed abaiesee Sant 8,005 Totaled Gece nes eS TE. 414 | 78,005 273 | 23,909 10 | 16,690 56 | 128,369 753 | 246,973