2002-07-31 Joe,
I would not go as far as you did and say that the auto, agricultural and electronics industries together add up to "most". Even from the info we have received, no more than 40 % of the goods and services produced in the US is metric. That in itself is not most. Most businesses in the US, Joe, are the small and medium "Ma & Pa" businesses that have been the impetus behind the revolt against metrication. They are the ones claiming a cost of "millions" to convert and the threat that many businesses would have to close if they were forced to metricate. The 3 industry groups you mention below Joe not only sell world-wide, but produce world-wide. That is why a common system is needed. Ma & Pa USA only produces in the US. Some of them may export, and when they do, they don't switch to metric. They feel if the paying customer outside the USA is not complaining about having to adapt to their non-metric goods and services, then there is no need to even consider metrication. I'm sure if someone were to poll these businesses, none would agree that not being metric is an impediment to them exporting. If only the world would complain and make an issue of it, then Ma & PA USA would either have to convert, at least the products they would export, or leave the export market all together. I feel, if given that choice, they would just stop exporting. Concerning Automobiles, there are a lot of Americans to this very day who still believe American cars are made to inch specs. There are those who will argue that nuts & bolts on American cars are still in inches, only because they can fit a standard size inch wrench over a metric bolt. And no matter how much explaining one does about diameter and pitch, one might as well talk to the wall, because it never gets through. John > > Most US industries such as automobiles, agriculural machinery, and > electronics that do a world-wide export business are already metric. That > is because, outside of the USA, mechanics would not be able to maintain > their products if they were inch-based since the mechanics did not have > inch wrenches. Manufacturing in metric units was somewhat more efficient, > and although American mechanics had to buy metric wrenches, they could > afford to buy them. For sales literature and maintenance in USA, all > measurements were translated to inches. > It was not the policy of the manufacturers to campaign for the country to > convert to metric because more people might have been annoyed than have > approved. > > Joseph B.Reid > 17 Glebe Road West > Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071 > >
