After two-year truce, metric war is on again.Would you call THIS re-ignition of thought * A War* or CHURNING of fresh INPUT? Don't forget Metrication has grown over the years and demand its right, denied so far!
Brij Bhushan Vij <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2003105/11:53 AM(IST)
Aa Nau Bhadra Kritvo Yantu Vishwatah -Rg Veda.
*****The New Calendar Rhyme*****
Thirty days in July, September:
April, June, November, December;
All the rest have thirty-one; accepting February alone:
Which hath but twenty-nine, to be (in) fine;
Till leap year gives the whole week READY:
Is it not time to MODIFY or change to make it perennial, Oh Daddy!And make the calendar work with Leap Week Rule! ***** ***** ***** *****
From: "Mighty Chimp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [USMA:27446] Metric War Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 19:34:27 -0500
This was posted today to the METRICSUCKS forum:
http://www.metricsucks.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/webbbs_config.pl?read=16378
Out of curiosity, what is the maximum fine a trader can get for using an illegal measuring device for trade? To what extent can the courts prosecute? Does anybody know anything about the appeals being taken to the European Court of Human Rights? Does anyone know if there is a scheduled hearing before this court anytime soon? How can this be considered a human rights violation?
Can anyone tell me what newspaper this may have been printed in?
Euric
After two-year truce, metric war is on again
Last Thursday scores of south London market traders delivered a humiliating
rebuff to council officials who were attempting to enforce metrication laws.
When trading standards officials ordered one trader to hand over his
non-metric scales, they were surrounded by angry stallholders backing his
refusal to comply. The police were called, but seemed reluctant to get
involved. After a heated stand-off, the officials retreated to Lewisham town
hall.
This was the first attempt by a council to impose metrication laws on an entire market since Steve Thoburn was charged with selling a pound of bananas in Sunderland in 2000. Although Lord Justice Laws upheld the convictions of Mr Thoburn and four other traders, the so-called "Metric Martyrs", in the Appeal Court in February 2002, there have been no attempts at prosecution since. Official figures indicate that 40,000 traders are still ignoring the law and selling in pounds and ounces.
Almost all the stallholders in Lewisham's five markets continue to sell in imperial weights and measures. Last month they were given 28 days to obey the regulations that prohibit the sale of goods in non-metric measures, in compliance with two European Union directives. They sought advice from that doughty campaigner Neil Herron of the Metric Martyrs Defence Fund in Sunderland (originally set up with the aid of �70,000 from generous readers of The Telegraph).
He pointed out that Lewisham appeared to be in breach of the Government's
"enforcement concordat", which pledges councils to carry out their duties in
"a fair, equitable and consistent manner". Lewisham has taken no action
against local supermarkets which regularly breach the same laws with
promotions referring only to pounds and ounces.
Last Thursday, when a phalanx of officials entered the market in Lewisham
High Street, the traders, briefed by Mr Herron, were ready for them. When
Martin Pulsford, a greengrocer, was told to surrender his scales, he
replied, "With the best will in the world, I am not going to give them to
you." The officials called the police, who seemed none too happy to be
involved. (One officer said: "We should be out catching real criminals.") As
reporters and a BBC camera crew converged on the scene, the officials beat a
retreat.
Why should Lewisham have been the first council to break the two-year truce
on enforcing the metric laws (while the Metric Martyrs case is still
awaiting a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights)? It may be because
the borough's elected mayor, Steve Bullock, is a fervent Europhile, who
immediately issued a statement: "The change in the law was made to bring the
United Kingdom in line with Europe. I personally advocate the change to the
metric system. If it were possible, I would enjoy buying goods in euros as
well."
Mr Bullock, who is also general secretary of the Union of Social Democratic Local and Regional Politicians of Europe, was clearly angry at the rebuff suffered by his officials on Thursday. His council says it will be taking further steps to force Lewisham's market traders to obey the law, at a time of its choosing.
If readers wish to join what promises to be a historic battle, further
contributions to the Metric Martyrs Defence Fund (PO Box 526, Sunderland SR1
3YS) would be greatly appreciated.
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