I. WHY CONSIDER CONVERSION TO THE METRIC SYSTEM?

The demands of the spaceage industry for greater and greater precision of measurement and the needs of the newly developing nations for standardization have focused attention on the two major systems of units of measurement used throughout the world-the English, or more precisely the U.S. customary system, and the metric system. Japan, India, and the mainland China have recently joined the metric-using countries leaving only Great Britain, the Commonwealth nations, certain smaller Asian and African countries, and the United States on the inch-pound system. These countries, which are for the most part English speaking, contain only about 20 percent of the world population but they now account for about 41 percent of the international trade of the world exclusive of the U.S.S.R. and satellites. This balance of production in nonmetric units will be affected by the rapid growth of industry in the metric-using countries of Asia and South America.

Consideration of the world situation has led, in the United States, to renewed interest in the metric system-as evidenced by bills introduced in the Congress, articles in the daily and scientific press, symposia at scientific and technical society meetings, and surveys of various kinds. One industry, the phamaceutical industry, has converted the majority of its physical measurements to the metric system. The manufacture of antifriction bearings (except tapered bearings) has been on the metric system since its introduction into the United States from Europe. Agitation for a change is going on in other industries, notably the chemical industry.

Conversion to the metric system has been urged by some as a long-range aid in the expansion of the U.S. export market in Latin American and other countries where the metric system prevails. However, the extent, if any, to which our present system of units is an impediment to export trade is still a moot question. Proponents of the metric system also call attention to possible savings to industry, business, and Government through its use. Since the Government itself conducts one of the largest business-type operations in the world, this is a very cogent reason why Government should institute a study of conversion. Not only because the issue is of national and international dimensions, but because of the scale of its own operations, the Federal Government is looked to for guidance.

II. NEED FOR A FACTFINDING STUDY

A broad, factual study is needed because any decision regarding a change in systems of units should be based on complete information as to the advantages to be gained and the costs involved.

The proposal for a comprehensive investigation does not mean that the subject has previously been neglected. To the contrary, a variety of studies of limited scope have been and are being made. However, no general investigation has been conducted in the United States since the extensive study made by the National Industrial Conference Board in 1921.1

Foremost among the questions to be answered are those relating to the cost of initial conversion and the subsequent effect, if any, on prices. The cost would depend in many situations on the timing of the change and whether the two systems could satisfactoryily be used together for a period of years until machine tools and weighing and measuring equipment in the U.S. customary system should be worn out and could then be replaced with metric equipment.

A study of individual areas might disclose some areas in which an early change to the metric system would be feasible and profitable, other in which a change might be desirable if made over a period of years, and still others in which no change whatever would be warranted on the basis of available facts and estimates.

There is also the question as to whether conversion in industry would be made by private initiative or whether it would be required by law, perhaps with part of the cost being borne by Government. The problem of duplicate stocks of products, particularly replacement parts, would be large and complex, as has already been clearly pointed out by a recent survey in the Department of Defense pertaining to military supplies.

1 "The Metric Versus the English System of Weights and Measures," National Industrial Conference Board, Research Report 42 (October 1921).

2 "The Metric System and the Department of Defense," by John J. Riordan and Charles J. Brzezinski, prepared for presentation at 1961 SAE International Congress and Exposi tion of Automotive Engineering. Detroit, Mich., Jan. 9-13, 1961.

III. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study should include all major segments of the economy that utilize or are affected by units of measurement. This means that it should deal with government, industry, public utilities, commerce and trade, engineering, and education.

1. Government

The Federal, State, and local governments are concerned with units of measurement in three respects. First, many laws and regulations contain requirements that are explicitly stated in terms of measurements in U.S. customary units. Second, land and coastal surveys and records are also in U.S. customary units except in some areas in the Southwest where early Spanish units still perist. Third, nearly every operation of government from the purchase of office supplies to highway construction makes direct or indirect use of measurements that again are almost invariably in U.S. customary units.

Typical of Federal statutes that would come under consideration are public laws such as those that fix standard thicknesses of steel plate (for purposes of duties and taxes) in numbered gages defined in ounces per square foot, and those that prescribe the dimensions in inches and contents in cubic inches of containers for lime, fruits, berries, vegetables, cranberries, and other products.

State statutes relating to similar matters are very numerous and prescribe in some jurisdictions the weight of a loaf of bread, the size of a brick, the length of thread on a spool, the content of milk bottles, the size and subdivision of butter cartons, and the weights and dimensions of many other items. Practically all of these are requirements in round numbers as pounds, ounces, inches, gallons, quarts, etc.

Building codes such as the national electrical code, the national electrical safety code, the plumbing code, and numerous other building and safety codes are developed nationally and adopted by States, counties, and municipalities. These, again, nearly all contain stipulations in the customary units.

Conversion of all these laws and regulations to the use of metric units would have a very widespread effect on business, industry, and everyday life. The problems that would be involved, however, would not be as difficult or expensive to solve as those which would be encountered in changing geodetic measurements, land records, and charts of waterways and airways to the metric system. The difficulty of making any change in these was evidenced recently in connection with the adoption of the international inch as 2.54 centimeters exactly instead of 2.54000508 centimeters. Because of the very great time and expense that would be required for changing, it was decided to retain the latter value as the basis for a special unit known as the survey foot.

The construction and operation of highways and waterways constitute one of the major expenditures of both the Federal Government and State governments. If there are advantages in expressing distances in kilometers instead of miles, and in putting engineering specifications in meters instead of feet, and quantities of materials in metric tons or cubic meters instead of long or short tons and cubic yards these advantages should be significant in connection with the Nation's highway building and other major construction operations.

The Post Office Department conducts a business amounting to nearly $4 billion a year on the basis of measurements in pounds, ounces, and inches. If a general change to the metric system should be determined advisable, the post offices would be in a very favorable position to aid in educating the public because they reach neary every citizen.

The control of crops and the support of prices of farm products are also activities of the Federal Government that touch large numbers of people, hence their conversion to the use of metric units would serve an educational purpose as well as saving the Government money if there should be any economic advantage attendant on the use of metric units.

The Federal Government, in its manifold operations, is the Nation's largest consumer and purchases the products of nearly every industry. Thus, it would be in a position to wield large influence if it should determine upon a policy of adopting the use of metric units and should change its more than 3,500 Federal specifications to metric units. The influence of such a change would be reflected in a very large volume of purchases by States, counties, municipalities, and private agencies that also utilize Federal specifications. Such a change would lead to an increase in the cost of the items purchased unless industry should also change.

2. Industry

The exploration of problems likely to arise from conversion to the metric system in industry can be greatly simplified, at least in the initial phases of the study, by dividing the products to be considered into two broad categories—those in which the product itself would be changed, and those in which there would be no change in the product but only a change in designation, label, package, or unit of sale.

(a) Products in which significant changes would be involved in conversion to metric units.-Machinery and appliances generally would present the greatest problem and would involve the largest expense in conversion. Machine tools would have to be changed and in many instances there would be the problem as to whether it would be more economical to scrap particular machines or to rebuild them at considerable expense. The problem would be most acute with machine tools especially those having lead screws such as lathes and thread grinders, and other precisely dimensioned items. The major industries most affected would be the automotive and aircraft industries, and the machine tool industry.

Nuts and bolts and the more sophisticated threaded fasteners made in inch units would be useless for most applications to metric products. The same would be true of many replacement parts for machines and appliances. Thus there would be the problem of deciding in many individual cases whether it would be more economical to scrap the appliances and stocks of parts or to maintain dual inventories and service activities.

(b) Products that would not be changed significantly by conversion to metric units. The greatest dollar value and the largest quantity of the products of industry are bulk materials and include the following: agricultural products; construction materials such as cement, sand, gravel, plaster, etc.; chemicals and fertilizers; and fuels including oil, coal, and gas. Conversion to metric units for these products could be effected by changing weighing and measuring devices along with records of inventories and business transactions. At the wholesale stage the costs of transition would not be large or the problems difficult, but in retail operations a great deal of expense would be involved. The education of the consumer would also be a factor and even with the best preparation that it would be practical to make, there would undoubtedly be confusion that would involve direct or indirect expense.

Many industrial products other than bulk materials would not have to be changed in a conversion to the metric system because they are designated either by numbered sizes or by nominal dimensions in round numbers which are not the actual dimensions. Thus, wire sizes are given in numbers which bear no relation, in round numbers, to any system of units. Tables in engineering handbooks usually give the actual sizes both in inches and in millimeters. The nominal thickness and width of planed lumber depart so far from the actual dimensions that round numbers in metric units would be as close to the actual dimensions as the present designation in inches. This, however, is not true of the lengths for the better quality of finished lumber nor is it true of plywood sheets.

Sizes of steel pipe afford another illustration of a product in which the nominal dimensions may depart considerably from the actual measurement. The inch sizes of pipe could be converted to round numbers in centimeters that would serve equally well for purposes of designation without changing the actual dimensions.

A number of manufactured products are made with equipment which can readily be adjusted to change the thickness, width, or diameter. One illustration is the rolls that are used to make sheet metal or sheet plastic. The width of textiles and the width and thickness of paper, likewise, could be changed textiles and the width and thickness of paper, likewise, could be changed within moderate limits without any large or difficult change in setting.

3. Commerce and trade

At the retail level, conversion to the metric system would involve the twofold problem of changing or replacing vast numbers of scales, gasoline pumps, and other measuring devices, and at the same time acquainting the public with the new units.

It is not known whether a widespread change in measurement systems would have a minor or profound effect on prices in general or for specific groups. Our economy is characterized by "sticky" prices which stem in part from the convenience of prices in multiples of 5's or 10's and in part from price strategy which dictates that quantities be varied and customary charges remain fixed.

Any study regarding the widespread introduction of change in physical measures should consider also the correlative problem of price change.

Prepackaged commodities, such as loaves of bread or bottles of milk that are required by law to be sold in round units such as 1 pound or 1 quart, would have to be changed as indicated in a previous paragraph. Many other prepackaged quantities, however, that are now sold in a wide range of quantities and sizes that are not expressed in round numbers would simply need to be remarked in metric units.

The service trades, particularly those concerned with maintenance and repair, are accustomed to flexibility in adjusting to the products with which they deal, but would be required to expand their range of tools.

4. Public utilities (other than transportation)

Public utilities, in connection with their services to the public, would not encounter any major problem in conversion to the metric system other than the very considerable cost of changing the indicating mechanism of millions of water and gas meters.

Telephone service, where measured in quantity, is expressed in dimensionless message units. Electric service is conventionally measured in kilowatt hours as in metric countries, hence would require no change.

In construction, maintenance, and the various other operations that public utilities must perform, they would encounter a large number of problems in conversion to the metric system just as any other industry.

5. Engineering

Engineers would probably be affected more than any other group by a change to the metric system. In the United States engineers are trained in the use of the U.S. customary units: their handbooks, textbook, and periodicals are all in the customary units. Only small specialized groups of engineers have occasion to employ the metric system. Aeronautical engineers are such a group and they have indicated in a recent survey that they would favor a change to the metric system as a means of saving time now spent in making the conversion from one system to the other.

The change of all of the engineering literature to metric units, and the reeducation of engineers to think in metric units would be a very large undertaking, but the change of the millions of engineering drawings from one system of units to another would be a project of colossal magnitude. It could not be done by any simple mechanical conversion, because the changes in thickness, weight, and tolerances that would necessarily be involved would require, in many cases, a recomputation of loads and stresses, and even a reconsideration of the design. 6. Education

The metric system is currently taught in schools along with the U.S. customary system of units, with emphasis on the latter. Studies have been made in both Britain and the United States on the saving in time if only the metric system should be taught. Some proponents of the continued use of the U.S. customary units counter this proposed advantage by pointing out the training in arithmetic gained by the use of the system.

In the event of any widespread change to metric units, a major problem would be the education of adults to become familiar with metric units and learn to think in terms of them.

IV. CONDUCT OF THE STUDY

The most effective and economical plan for the study seems to be one in which a small professional staff of, say five or six, would undertake to analyze the problems involved in conversion, and design a study in which they would enlist the fullest practical collaboration of governmental agencies and industrial and scientific organizations. This collaboration would necessarily involve more than the filling out of questionnaires asking opinions. Qualitative information would be required together with the pertinent numerical data wherever possible. It is to be hoped that many of the data sought could be derived from existing census figures and business statistics. However, some data would probably have to be obtained by firsthand studies. Because of the time and expense likely to be involved in such studies, they would be undertaken only with careful planning and the fullest possible use of modern sampling techniques.

It would be highly advantageous in the course of the investigation to determine and analyze the experience of countries, such as Japan and India, which are now converting to the metric system, and the Philippine Republic, which has only recently made the change. It would also be important to determine, more defi

nitely than has as yet been done, the influence of systems of units on export trade, with particular attention to long-range considerations.

In view of the time that may be required for the recruitment of qualified staff, the analysis of the problem, and the collection of data at home and abroad, it appears that 3 years should be allowed for the study with provision for annual reporting to the sponsoring organization.

It is recommended that the staff include a scientist with a background in standards to act as project leader, a broadly trained engineer, a business economist, a statistician, and an educator, supported by a small staff of research assistants, clerical, and secretarial personnel. Assuming that the project should be authorized for work to begin on July 1, 1961, it is estimated that $75,000 would be required for the first year, and $125,000 to $150,000 for each of the 2 succeeding years.

V. REVIEW OF PROPOSAL

Because of the broad scope of this proposed study and the possible significance that may be attached to the findings, it is suggested that this report be submitted to representative groups in Government and in the business community for advice and comment before a decision is reached as to whether to undertake the work. Respectfully submitted.

Senator MORTON. No questions.

Mr. KENNEY. I wonder, in the language at the top of page 19, you suggest revision of the bill. When you use the term "evaluate the costs and benefits," is this equivalent to "evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages"?

Mr. HOLLOMON. Yes, that is an equivalent statement. Either wording would be satisfactory.

Mr. KENNEY. I wanted to be sure.

Mr. HOLLOMON. Either set of words would be satisfactory.

Mr. KENNEY. Would your concept of the study of the weights and measures encompass the change in temperature measurements? Mr. HOLLOMON. You mean Fahrenheit to centigrade?

Mr. KENNEY. Yes.

Mr. HOLLOMON. Absolutely.

Mr. KENNEY. That is nowhere defined in the statute now. I couldn't find it. We discussed earlier pounds, meters, and the like, for which there is a statutory basis, but Fahrenheit or centigrade

Mr. HOLLOMON. I am advised that there is no stautory basis for degrees Fahrenheit.

Mr. KENNEY. There are natural effects

Mr. HOLLOMON. No statutory basis. They are defined in terms just in the same way that the inch or foot is defined: degree Fahrenheit; the international definition is defined in terms of degree centigrade. Degree centigrade is the basic element of measurement of temperature. Mr. KENNEY. Thank you.

Senator MCGEE. Those are all the questions. Thank you.

Mr. HOLLOMON. Before you call the other witness, you asked Senator Pell for a list of those countries that now are or are not on the metric system. I have such a list.