MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS By WILLIAM T. SUNLEY, Illinois Department of Transportation

The need for a single worldwide coordinated measurement system was recognized over 300 years ago. Although the metric system was not accepted with enthusiasm at first, adoption by other nations occurred steadily after France made its use compulsory in 1840. The standardized character and decimal features of the metric system made it well suited to scientific and engineering work. Consequently, it is not surprising that the rapid spread of the system coincided with an age of rapid technological developments.

By 1900, a total of 35 nations had officially accepted the metric system. In August, 1988, then-President Reagan signed the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act. This Act amended the 1975 Metric Conversion Act stating that by 1992 federal agencies must use the metric system of measurement to an extent economically feasible. On July 25, 1991, President Bush issued an Executive Order to implement the congressional designation of the metric system of measurement as the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce.

The United States' reliance on the English system limits the market of its products with the rest of the world. From 1975 to 1987, the United States' share of global export manufacturing dropped by one-third. Besides the United States, there are only two other countries in the world who do not use the metric system.

Most companies are maintaining the English system for goods sold in the United States and metric system for exports. But the high cost of maintaining two kinds of equipment and dual inventories is persuading most firms to opt for metrics only. Caterpillar Tractor is saving an estimated $1 million a year by ordering steel in metric amounts. Metrication has allowed farm equipment manufacturer John Deere and Company to pare down the number of screw sizes from 70 to about 15, reducing the number of bins and human error. Likewise, metrics enabled wine and liquor bottles to go from 53 containers to 7. Since the United States is the world's largest buyer of all goods, metrication of the United States government would stimulate its use by all citizens.

There are three base units of measurements, the meter, gram, and liter, that are used most often. The meter is used to measure length, similar to our feet and yards.

The kilometer will replace the mile in expressing distance. The Department has placed metric road signs on the interstate highway system at various locations, throughout the state, which indicate in both kilometers and miles the distance to a specific destination. If you were to pass a sign that indicated 15 kilometers to the

October 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 9

You are 200 pounds and you wish you were only 180? Well, you are slightly under 91 kilograms! Doesn't that make you feel better? You are 145 pounds and you would like to be 130? In kilograms you are only just over 65. And think of this: When you slip off your diet and gain a little, kilograms only pile up about half as fast as pounds do. That extra piece of pie won't show up in kilograms the way it does in pounds.

next rest area, would you know how long it would take to get there? To measure weight, the gram is used, which is comparable to ounces. The last and probably most recognized is the liter, which measures liquid, comparable to our quarts and gallons. The less you compare the metric system to the old system, the easier the switch will be. This will not happen overnight, and you'll have plenty of time to get used to the idea and plenty of "helpers" available to make the switch successfully. •

Page 10 / Illinois Municipal Review / October 1991