Pat,
Can you tell us what ever happened to this organization and also can you tell
us what happened to the diehards? Did they eventually give up or are they
still fighting against the metric system?
Are they like Stephen Humphreies who look for remnant imperial uses and have
developed a fantasy world where everything is still imperial?
Jerry
Here is a blast from the past that should sound very familiar to Yanks today.
Published April 1976 in a right wing paper it echoes not only American right
wing sentiments, but British ones as well. One has to take his anti metric
diatribe as a revolt against the left wing government that introduced it.
The irony is had Britain metricated like Australia, everybody, except a few
diehard and misguided super patriots would happily talk in metric terms now and
glad to do so.
"METRIC MUDDLES
"Australian consumers are yards behind in the move afoot to think metric". -
The Age, (Melbourne) April 1st.
Mr. Robert Parry, President of the Australian anti-Metric Association says that
people are not thinking Metric, and that advertisers are now swinging back to
the "old" imperial measures. Fruiterers are selling fruit and vegetables in
pounds and ounces. Home and property buyers are hopelessly confused by metres
and centimeters, and hectares etc. Mr., Parry is not against progress; he is a
smart, modern man; a highly successful public accountant. Mr. Parry states that
the adoption of the metric system is definitely not progress - just an
expensive change. Expensive for the consumer; he can give many examples of
increased costs to the individual consumer from metrication.
We have always "felt in our bones" that there was something phony about
metrication. No one was asked about it. There was no referendum. It wasn't even
discussed in Parliament. It just appeared from nowhere, and grew - like Topsy.
The same with decimalisation. Who was asked about decimal currency? Were you?
Was your Member of Parliament? Who was then?! It just "appeared". Some one
wants decimal currency and metric weights and measures for us, and not only us.
Even the U.S.A. is being pushed metric now. We say, "pushed" advisedly, for
that's the real state of affairs.
Decimalisation and metrication are being pushed onto Western countries where
they have not been accepted before. What do we think? It's pretty obvious; the
One World advocates in the Halls of Power at the United Nations, and elsewhere,
have done deals all over the world to have standardisation of currency, weights
and measures enforced as a necessary step along the road to World Government.
But there is more to it than that. Mr. Parry puts his finger on the pulse; he
says that the old systems grew up because the measures were convenient for
those that used them. They naturally were, at least in part, a reflection of
the character of the people from which they sprang, and which they served. Our
currency, weights and measures are part of the tradition of our race, and what
ordinary decent people feel when these "new fangled" changes are rudely
introduced is the confusion induced by an attack upon our traditions. The same
confusion is generated when the political subversives attack our Anthem and our
Flag.
Mr. Parry believes that the metric system will prove to be outdated - there are
better systems. He says that advanced computers use a 16 base system; the
computers that control guided missiles cannot do decimal calculations; decimal
calculations are too slow! Mr. Robert Parry is doing a first class job. He
should be given support.
Mr. Bob Parry, President of the Australian Anti-Metric Association, is an
inspiring example of what a dedicated individual can achieve. Mr. Parry has
gathered others around him in his campaign to halt the metric madness. A
petition asking the Federal Government to repeal the Metric Conversion Act has
been signed by thousands. Mr. Parry's commonsense approach must appeal to all
those who have had enough of the metric madness. Let's go back to pre-1970 when
any section of the community who wanted to go metric could do so. Those wishing
to help the Anti-Metric Association can write to 50 Cardigan Street, Carlton,
Victoria."
An explanation of Australia's pre decimal currency and why only ardent
royalists wanted to hang on to it. That simple lot came in three penny bits,
florins, and half crowns which were 2 shillings & sixpence. A crown was 5 bob &
the smallest paper note was 10 bob, two of which made a pound. There was only
one peculiar exception, that of a guinea, this was 21 shillings allowing the
auctioneer to make his 5 % commission by paying the customer in pounds.
1 penny = two ½ pennies of which 480 made one pound’
6 pennies = 12 half pennies =sixpence
12 pennies = 1 shilling
20 shilling one pound
21 shilling 1 guinea
