On 2008/05/28, at 11:22 PM, Tom Wade wrote:
East End grocer put on trial for refusing to submit to metric system
The same old lies are still being peddled. If this crops up in any
forum you frequent, make sure to point out:
Mrs Devers has been hailed as the latest "Metric Martyr" to
challenge regulations originally from the
EU which were aimed at outlawing the use of Imperial measurements
in the UK.
UK law does *not* outlaw the use of Imperial measurements. Mrs
Devers is quite entitled to have prices per pound (weight) on signs
if she wishes. What she is not allowed to do is to omit the signs
bearing the official units of the realm. She is even entitled to use
weighing scales that can measure pound weight (again, as long as
they also are capable of displaying the official units).
Dear Tom,
I believe that you are right in that the media are peddling the same
tired old lies in these anti-metric stories. I also believe that there
is an underlying nationalism in all of this. Te nationalism seems to
be based on the idea that the metric system is somehow foreign (French
or European) to the people of the UK and especially to the people of
England.
As you know this is simply not true.
The basis of the metric system was developed in England as a method of
'universal measure' around the middle of the 1660s. It was then fully
described in 1668 by John Wilkins in, AN ESSAY Towards a REAL
CHARACTER, And a PHILOSOPHICAL LANGUAGE.(1668)'
These three references should provide full details.
http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/WilkinsTranslationShort.pdf
http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/Wilkins_translation_2007-07-14.pdf
http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/CommentaryOnWilkinsOfMeasure.pdf
I doubt that Mrs Devers is even aware that she is in opposition to an
English system of measurement at the same time as she passionately
supports the Roman methods (pondo) imported by the French
(avoirdupois) with William the Conqueror in 1066.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
PO Box 305 Belmont 3216,
Geelong, Australia
Phone: 61 3 5241 2008
Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has
helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the
modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they
now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for
their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many
different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial
and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA.
Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST,
and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/
for more metrication information, contact Pat at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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