Metrication mania
Sir: The recent correspondence on metrica- tion mania seems to have overlooked its relationship with Great Britain's attempt to get into the Common Market. In the 1950s neither of these issues were government policy, otherwise we should not have reached a common standard with the United States on the unified screw thread.
With the United States being responsible for 60 per cent of the world's technical innovation and Great Britain contributing 15 per cent, the inch-pound system was gain- ing ground in all the new industries. This is admitted by M. Danloux Demesnils in his book The Metric System (1964) from which I quote: 'In short it is quite clear that over the last twenty years the metric system has lost ground'.
It is only since General de Gaulle vetoed our entry bid in 1963 (no doubt on the grounds that we were not European enough) that efforts have been made to bring our- selves into line with Common Market prac- tices, such as the twenty four hour clock, British Standard Time, Centigrade scale, decimal currency and now metrication. It would appear that only when we have passed the point of no return will we be admitted, but will our politicians admit this? They seem to take the stand that 'if you - have to give, give graciously'. Hence the all- party approach to both the Common Market and metrication.
Should our present entry bid fail (as I hope it will) it will be essential that the systems of Great Britain and the United States be brought to a common standard. John Field 43 Kingswood Crescent, Leeds
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