Dennis (and all), Resistance to metric was generally of an other kind than it is now in the English speaking countries. Usually it was passive. It was simply continuing using the old units and never giving any motive for not using metric. Yet this type of resistance was very effective as it helped to delay general acceptance and usage for decades. Bad teaching methods in schools (too much conversion between old and new, the teaching of notations like 1 m 73 cm instead of 1.73 m) didn't help general acceptance either. There were no anti-metric groups as far as I know. I could not find anti-metric pamphlets either. Napoleon's reversal to old units in 1812 was an English-type kind of resistance, using many of the same arguments we find in anti-metric US and UK texts. Napoleons's intervention nearly lead to the undoing of metric. Curious, in 1881 the Weights and Measures Act in The Netherlands was to be revised. Two Members of Parliament spouted the same propaganda which we see on the websites of the BWMA and F2M today. These MP's demanded the legalisation of old units together with the metric ones. They declared that they used non- metric units and did not see why they should go. Metric units were irrational and unsuited for daily life (see BWMA, F2M, etc.) They spouted this claptrap 60 years after the metric system had been adopted! Their proposals were rejected by a large majority. Han Datum:Wed, 29 Nov 2000 08:29:27 -0700 Van:Dennis Brownridge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Antwoord aan:Dennis Brownridge <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> OnderwerpRE: [USMA:9418] opposition to metrication Aan:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Han, in the 19th century, was there the same sort of irrational opposition to metrication in the Continental European countries that we see in Britain today? > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > On Behalf Of Han Maenen > Sent: 2000 November 28 Tuesday 14:38 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:9418] Re: (fwd) Metrication...Why? > > > I am baffled by Tim May comments and I assume that he has never been in a metric country, otherwise he could not have written such trash. He must have been well educated by The Sun and other anti-European newspapers. <snip> ----- Einde doorgestuurd bericht -----
