Dear Editor,
Your reference:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3223945/The-final-victory-is-not-yet-won.html
I was amused by Christopher Booker's article, 'The final victory is
not yet won' (2008-10-18). He seems to be fighting, once again, for a
return to the diversity of randomly generated weights and measures
that were available before the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215,
where it was written:
There shall be one measure … throughout our whole realm.
Presumably, when the Magna Carta was written it was assumed that
someone would enforce the law by checking illegal scales, measuring
illegal containers, and prosecuting those who used them. The Magna
Carta writers' idea for a fair and honest system of measures was
probably the same that inspired Bishop John Wilkins to propose the
initial idea for a universal measure to the Royal Society of London in
1668 that led to the development of the metric system in France some
120 years later.
I don't suppose that when Janet Devers decided to use illegal scales
and a bowl for selling fruit and vegetables at her market stall she
had any idea that she could be leading the way so far back to the past
for all UK weights and measures.
Now, if it is true that the government is proposing to lend her
support, I am sure that other traders will soon decide on using
illegal scales and bowls for their trading — perhaps they might extend
it to two bowls — a big one for buying and a small one for selling
will probably look about right to many traders (as it did to many
traders 800 years ago before Magna Carta).
Perhaps the new (pre Magna Carta) British measuring regime could be
called, 'Devers' weights and Devers' measures'.
However, I predict a backlash. To paraphrase a very old quotation:
Thou shalt not have in thy bag Devers' weights, a great and a small.
Thou shalt not have in thine house Devers' measures, a great and a
small. Devers' weights and Devers' measures, both of them alike are an
abomination to the Lord. (From Deuteronomy 25:13-14)
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
P.S. These references might be useful for you to check the facts
expressed in this email: http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/CommentaryOnWilkinsOfMeasure.pdf
and http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/MetricationTimeline.pdf
P.P.S. Copies of John Wilkins work can be found at the British Library
and at the Royal Society in London.
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]
or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter
to subscribe.
