Mike,
The first century or so of discussion of the metric system in the U.S.
was indeed tied thematically and conceptually to currency. Kasson's
report to Congress in 1866 (just prior to passage of the Metric Act)
first dealt with currency and then with weights and measures, relating
the need to decimalise the latter as the former had been done some 90
years earlier. From the term of George Washington onward to that time,
the two were discussed together.
I believe the same was true in the "statistical congresses" of the 19th
century. Currency and quantity of goods were of significant accounting
concerns and there was a push for countries to decimalize both currency
and units of measurement. Indeed, there was a push not only for a common
international system of measurements but also a common international
currency! The euro finally realized that old goal of a currency common
to more than one "state" (country). (Brits may argue for the pound, but
it was imposed.) The Treaty of the Meter was of course the realization
of a system of measurement common to more than one "state" (country).
Jim
Michael Palumbo wrote:
....
Since when does currency reflect a measuring system?! I'm tempted to
write him and ask if uses standard American electricity instead of that
unAmerican stuff measured in kilowatts!
....
--
James R. Frysinger
632 Stony Point Mountain Road
Doyle, TN 38559-3030
(H) 931.657.3107
(C) 931.212.0267
