At various intervals during the present century speculation has been indulged in, and more or less lively discussion has taken place about the great benefit it would confer on universal humanity, were all the weights and measures of the whole earth arranged on the same standard. The universal standard proposed has been, of course, the metrical system, which had been elaborated by French savants who most probably thought they had arrived at such a state of knowledge that they were able to establish the foundations of all science of all kinds and for all time, upon the most sure and most durable principles. These periods of metrical fever, so to speak, seem to come on without any apparent immediately exciting cause, and some people succumb to the disease, others do not, just the same as in the cases of cholera, influenza, plague, etc. Whether some species of inoculation for it may be discovered, or whether it will be found that an unlimited attack is really perfect health, will most probably be found out in the course of time, although it may be some centuries hence. What is of interest to understand at the present time is, what are the benefits to be derived from the proposed universal standard of weights and measures, and how they are to be attained.
The principal and most imposing reason for its adoption is that it would be of immense service to scientific men all over the world, who would thus be able to understand the discourses, writings, discoveries, etc. of each other without the necessity of having to enter into calculations of any kind in order to be able to comprehend the arithmetical part of what they have listened to or read. Another argument brought forward in favour is, that it would greatly facilitate commercial transactions with foreign countries; and it has been lately advanced that great loss is suffered by one country selling its goods, manufactured according to its own measures, in countries where the metrical system has been adopted. Yet another advantage held out is the convenience it would be to travellers in money matters; but as this argument cannot be admitted without taking into consideration the necessity for one universal language all over the world, it has practically no place in any discussion on the subject, until the evil caused by the building of the Tower of Babel has been remedied.
Not long after one of the periodical attacks of metric fever we came upon an essay written by J. J. Jeans on "England's Supremacy," and published in New York by Harper and Brothers, in 1886, in which we found the following:—
Numerical relation of occupations in England and Wales in 1881:
| Professional | 2·5 per cent. | Commercial | 3·7 per cent. |
| Domestic | 7·0 " | Industrial | 24·5 " |
| Agricultural | 5·3 " | In all | 43·0 " |
This statement shows that 43 per cent. of the whole population are occupied in some business or work of some kind, and leads us reasonably to suppose that the remaining 57 per cent. consist of women, children, and people who—to put it short—are non-producers; the whole of whom can hardly be considered as much interested in the making of any alterations in the weights and measures of their country, rather the contrary, for they cannot expect to be much benefited by any change.
The professional class naturally comprehends Theology, Law, Medicine, and Science generally, so that the 2·5 per cent. ascribed to it would be seriously reduced, if the advantage derived from the desired change were reckoned by the number really benefited by it. A similar reduction would have to be made on the 3·7 per cent. stated to be occupied in Commerce, as it is not to be supposed that the whole of the number are engaged in foreign trade. Thus the number of people in these two classes who might really reap some advantage from the change, may be reduced by at least one half; and if we consider that one person in ten of those occupied in the Agricultural and Industrial classes is a scientist—we may pardon the Domestic class—a very liberal allowance indeed, we arrive at the conclusion that 6 per cent. of the whole population might find, some more, some less, interest in the introduction into our country of the French metric system.
The above statement refers only to England and Wales, but if Scotland and Ireland are added to them, the 6 per cent. proportion could not be very greatly altered: perhaps it would be less favourable to the change. Thus 94 per cent., or something like 37 millions, of the whole population of the United Kingdom would be called upon to change their whole system of weights and measures, in order that 6 per cent., or somewhere between 2 and 2½ millions, should find some little alleviation in a part of their labours; and surely 2 to 2½ millions of scientists and merchants engaged in foreign trade is a very liberal allowance for the population of our country. If this does not show a tendency towards despotism, it would be hard to tell what it does show.
Of course, it would not be fair to assume that the whole of the 6 per cent. would desire to see the proposed change carried into effect. In all likelihood, a very considerable portion of the number would be disposed to count the cost of erecting such a structure before actually laying its foundations, and would refrain from beginning the work on considering by what means it was to be brought to a conclusion; even without going so far as to find out that 94 per cent. of it at least would have to be done by forced labour. They might even go the length of speculating on how long it would take to coerce the 94 per cent. into furnishing the forced labour, and on the hopelessness of the task. On the other hand, they might think it more natural to lay hold of the alternative of adopting a special system of weights and measures for the use of Science and Foreign Commerce alone, and leave the 94 per cent. to follow their own national and natural customs, which they would be very likely to do whatever might be determined, if we may judge by the progress made in France a century after the system was thought to be established. Very little opposition could be made to such a course, and if the best possible system were not adopted, the scientists would be the only parties put to inconvenience. They could improve and reform it, should they find it not to be perfect, without the necessity of coercing the 94 per cent. into furnishing another contingent of forced labour. But little is to be gained by saying any more about it. Should the metrical system be adopted some day by Act of Parliament, Science will have obtained what it has so long coveted, will be quite satisfied, and will trouble itself very little about how it affects the rest of the population. It will perhaps never even think of how India will be brought to buy and sell through the medium of the French Metrical System.
And now we have only one step to take on this subject. We may say that the project of establishing one standard of weights and measures for the whole world has a most unpleasant resemblance to the object proposed by the builders of the Tower of Babel; the only thing that can be said in its favour being that it points towards an endeavour to do away with the bad results produced by that enterprise and to bring matters back to the state the world was in before the foundations of that celebrated edifice were laid.