Metric Is Worth Going Extra Mile

* It was distressing to read land surveyor William J. McGee’s Nov. 2 letter regarding the Orange County conversion to metric. Actually, the county should be commended, rather than criticized, for taking such an important, progressive step to convert to the ideal system of measurement at this time.

Apparently, McGee agrees that Americans now find the present, antiquated measurement systems of inches, feet, ounces, pounds, etc. confusing.

However, it is inconceivable to fathom his objections to coping with metric prefixes such as deca, deci, hecto, kilo, mega, etc. All these prefixes simply represent multiples of 10, which is the basis of metric measurement.

As a professional land surveyor, one would think that he would welcome the most advanced means of measurement that is now being used by nearly all nations of the world. Unfortunately, the United States and an extremely small number of Third World nations have yet to convert to this popular usage.

If anything, a person of McGee’s stature should welcome the change, which is now being advocated by the U.S. General Services Administration, the automotive industry, a vast majority of state departments of transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, to name a few.

The ultimate consumer is already well-acquainted with the economical metric forms of measurement. Our dollar monetary system, the purchase of electric power in the form of kilowatt hours and the consumption of many beverages by the liter are a few prime examples.

Let’s face the fact: Our country is rapidly moving toward the use of this extremely simple form of measurement in spite of those who are resistant to change, mainly due to fear.

HERBERT A. NIEDHAMMER

Laguna Niguel