The driving force in the United Kingdom for the decision to change in the mid sixties was lobbying from industry. The issue was the cost of dual working, i.e. (mostly) metric for overseas products but imperial for the domestic market. American industry should in theory be thinking along the same lines in which case it would be contractors asking the government to change not the other way round. The key difference in the two cases as I perceive it is the much stronger position the USA has in world markets such that other countries are forced to bear the cost of accommodating the USA in that respect - e.g. the tolerance of the EU to non-metric labelling on packaged goods. An economic argument that American campaigners could take up is that although America may be getting along fine just now (assuming they are) they need to think about the future. The world is rapidly changing and America needs to stay ahead of the game. The continued reliance on concessions to non-metric practice is, potentially, a future impediment the USA could do without.
Phil Hall ________________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Carleton MacDonald Sent: 05 April 2006 01:32 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:36469] Re: April 1 Another case of the contractors picking off states, one by one, until they get back to what they want. I wouldnt be surprised if it were a concerted effort. Ive done web searches on that to see if there is some site that proclaims that strategy but havent found it. I wish the government had more backbone. Carleton ________________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Millet Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 14:00 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:36459] Re: April 1 The only problem with that philosophy is that nearly every contractor and sub contractor in the US that the various DOT's or whatever farm work out to will almost always refuse to work in SI. The problem then becomes, how long can the supervisor wait on the project while he and the contractors standoff. If the project falls behind schedule or budget, that supervisors head will roll. So it kind of becomes a choice between "Do I let them have their inches?" or "Do I insist on SI and have them complain to my supervisor and make a big fuss and possibly even lose my job" I agree with you that the DOT's should be allowed to force SI but sadly I think what I just described is the reality. Mike -- "The boy is dangerous, they all sense it why can't you?"
