FYI D. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Duncan Bath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: March 14, 2002 07:25 Subject: Re: Government Edicts
>The comparisons are not valid. There is no relation in logic between a >rule of the road adopted for safety and a system of weights and measures >adopted by decree because of political pressure. > >No safety issue is involved in running two weights and measures systems in >parallel. We have done it here without so much as a single grazed knee >resulting since the Metric system was legalised in (I think) 1880. >Secondly, there is absolutely no reason why the two forms of currency could >not have coexisted indefinitely(they did for about two years as I remember) >EXCEPT that the inflation which decimalisation was partly designed to >conceal would have swiftly wiped out the value of many of the older coins. >I remember no deaths from that, either, or even frauds. I regret >decimalisation (And Lord Halsey, whose report reluctantly recommended it, >was privately opposed) but it was forced on us (again) because the >government knew that EC membership was going to debauch the currency and >that this would be painfully obvious with shillings and pence. Metrication, >amongst other things, performs a similar function by abolishing familiar >landmarks and so allowing packagers to confuse the public( look at the >current size of jamjars and cans of food. Both used to be sold by the >pound. Now they vary between 450 and 415 grams, measures most people have >no feel for). A wonderful opportunity for pushing up prices or giving short >measure, perfectly legally. How the supermarkets and the food moguls must >love it. > > >"Duncan Bath" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Words: > > > ------------------------------------+------------------------------------ > > > > > >"Duncan Bath" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on 10/03/2002 16:33:41 >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >cc: (bcc: Peter Hitchens/News/TMOS/ANL) >Subject Government Edicts > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > >Just saw an exchange between you and one Pat Naughtin re govenment decreed >measures. I am sure that your reasonable mind would wonder about the >ensuing chaos in the marketplace if NO guidance were in place. Vendors >could sell anything they wanted, any way they wanted to measure it. In our >country, Canada, this would mean watching out for an undersized gallon >(quart, pint etc.) and an oversized fluid ounce! >What would your feeling be about the government staying out of the question >of which side of the road to travel on? Which currency should prevail - >decimal or non-decimal? >Having someone else tell us what to do can be vexing; it can also be >beneficial. >Duncan > > > > >
