“A STEP IN CIVILISATION.”

Commenting on these points, the Committee say they find “that the evidence of expert witnesses appears to show with regard to (1) that the existing system entails some expenditure of time in the schools which might be devoted to other purposes. It was impossible for them to say how much time would be saved. The gain would be very slight. It would still be necessary to teach vulgar fractions. On the other hand, children would have to learn the notation of decimal fractions at an earlier age although this would be easier for them if they were familiar with decimal coins. With regard to (2) and (3), while the necessity for compound arithmetic renders the existing system less convenient in some respects than the decimal as a means of keeping accounts there is no evidence that mistakes are in fact caused by the existing system. We observe that if compound arithmetic is felt to be an inconvenience, it may be avoided in such offices as find decimals convenient for internal purposes by reckoning in pounds and decimal parts of a pound, a system already in common use, which has been adopted without any legislative authority and can be extended without any legislative change. We find on the other hand that the existing system is regarded as admirably suited to the needs of everyday life. The escape from the necessity of having to reckon by tens imposed on primitive races by the number of digits by which the races learned to count has been held to mark a step in the progress of civilisation, a step dictated by the need for a unit of measure capable of both division and sub-division. How strong was the need is proved by the early appearance of the dozen.”

We find as regards the objection referred to in (4) that no difficulty is in fact experienced in calculating foreign exchange. Tables are in general use for this purpose, and in any case the additional step in the calculation rendered necessary by the existing system is the less troublesome of the two steps involved in the operation. As to (5), we are informed that there is no difficulty in making quotation in the currency of the country of the possible purchasers. Enterprising manufacturers for export trade already adopt this course, which is obviously more convenient to all classes in the country of the importer than quotation in the currency of the country of the exporter, whether it be a decimal currency or not. This would, in the opinion of our witnesses, remain in use even were a decimal system adopted.

Witnesses sent by the Bankers’ Institute, the report states, expressed the opinion that for the purpose of domestic trade the existing system is quite satisfactory; and the evidence of retailers was generally to the same effect.