Campus Crier Central Washington University

Central Washington University ScholarWorks@CWU CWU Student Newspaper University Archives and Special Collections 1-22-1976 Campus Crier Central Washington University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/cwu_student_newspaper Recommended Citation Central Washington University, "Campus Crier" (1976). CWU Student Newspaper. 1421. http://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/cwu_student_newspaper/1421 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Archives and Special Collections at ScholarWorks@CWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in CWU Student Newspaper by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@CWU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CWSC.Ellensburg .WA 1/22/76Vol.49.No.10 'No cold-turkeY. changeover' Given ten years to make change to metrics .:> by Bernard Jensen now telling U.S. manufacturers for an E1"!glish lathe to turn a tration, as they buy out, or drive instead of 55 yards, we'll be okay." ,_ he United States is slowly that metrication is a necessity for metric thread," said Mitchell. This out, the small operation. However, he admitted to still millimetering its way into the continued sales. results in a need for retooling thinking in the English system. >metric system. President Ford gearboxes in all such machines. Although there will certainly be sjgned the Metric Conversion Act According to an article by Carol increased amounts , of foreign The plan adopted in the U.S. just before Christmas to put Perkins, "only the U.S. and Jama Additionally, while the U.S. has goods sold in__ the_U _.S., there will may be similar· to the one used in two recognized thread pitches, the · t- ~ficial U.S. policy on the same ica, Trinidad, Barbados, Nauru, also be more U.S. goods sold Great Britain. For example, high metric world has several. Mitchell path many major companies have Muscat, Oman, Sierra Leone, abroad. And with common units it way signs in English and metric indicated this was an area for ~~ready taken. The metric system Ghana, Gambia and Southern Ye will be easier to sell such goods. units will replace sjngle-unit signs is now the nation's "predominant men are holding out against the future standardization once the through normal attrition; when \'iut not exclusive system." rest of the metricated world." U.S. is fully into metrics. (Pitch is Re-education to the metric sys they need replacing again a metric the number of threads per milli tem has already begun. Schools in sign wil be used. It won't be a ..,., - Metric units are now being used The English system is based on meter.) all 50 states teach the metric "cold-turkey" changeover. on milk containers, pop bottles, human or natural dimensions--so system. A well-known hamburger According to the April 9, 197 4 ~d y foods, mileage sign posts and many dry barley corns or the span chain offered a "Ronald McMetric" Mitchell said he saw no prob weather reports. Science Digest, a big stumbling .... of a certain monarch's hand, for ruler; some of the soft-drink lems with speeding when the new example. The multiples betwee.n hlock to U.S. metrication has been dispensers on campus offer "think signs and speedometers are in The issue of a system of stan the unions, which have insisted on succeeding units are also inconsis metric" advice on the cups and a place. "Speed is deceptive," he dardized weights, measures and reimbursement for members buy tent. nationwide electronics chain offers said. "You can be going a lot faster monies was first raised by Presi ing metric tools. They have also or a lot slower than you think you ,,, 'nt Washington in his 17~0 a metric converter. insisted on retraining for their are. So people will tend to go the inaugural address. Except for a The metric system is based on memQers, the older of whom fear "standardized monetary system, the decimal system. Each unit is 10 Mitchell said he thought too posted speed limit by watching they will be obsolete in the new their speedometers." much of the industrialized world times larger than the preceding system. (Until recently Congress much- was being made of the .-has chosen a standard system of one--a meter is 10 times larger has been unwilling to bear the cost changeover to the metric system. __weights, measures and volumes- than a decimeter, which in turn is . of tools or retraining.) "This little calendar my bank sent Mitchell said he expects those the metric system. The U.S. chose 10 times larger than a centimeter. me is really self-defeating," hE: who've used the English system {)Itly metricated money and retaii The metric system also unites the The small businessman fears for said. "It lets me convert from one longest to have the most problems. ed the cumbersome system largely units of mass, volume and length himself. The big companies can system to another." Mitchell said "But I can't stress strongly , m~erited from England. in its basic definition. The mass of more easily make the conversion we must begin to think in the enough: think metric rather than one cubic centimeter of pure water than the small company. This has metric system. "When we can say converting from one system to the When the United States and at four degrees Celsius is one led to fear of big company concen- a nine-iron will carry 50 meters, other." Great Britain were the dominant gram . .ceonomic forces it was easy to ,mpose the confusing English sys England and Aust:::-alia - have tem on other nations. But there recently gone through the change has been a shift in the economic over to the metric system. The Su.spects apprehended ' oalance, and other countries are 'process was gradual, but not without problems. After using by .Jackie Humphries tances." pounds sterling for many years the L A cooperative effort between the Central Police said they believe the members of new "metric" money brought con Police Department and the Ellensburg fusion. People found themselves the group, ages 18,17, 16 and 13, had been f, Inside ... Police Department has ended a series of being short-changed, or thinking spending time in the SUB during the day they had been. The biggest prob city and campus burglary/vandalism inci and had acquired the keys allowing access lem for both countries may have dents. to the rooms entered. - it-ha~ --~ot yet been h:ounty Democrats been the new volumes for estab The SUB was entered over vacation and a determined how entry was made into the l~'nd Affirmative lished units of drink. The English tape recorder was taken from the Campus pint of beer, and it's cousin, the Crier office earlier in the month. 20-ounce Australian schooner, Crier office. Later in January a stereo was After the master key disappeared, secur 1-~ction page 3 both gave way to the metric taken fro.m the Games Room and a movie ity was tightened and all locks and keys equivalents. And many English screen damaged in the SUB small ballroom. changed according to Don Wise, SUB union members still are convinced Various businesses in Ellensburg were the present economic distress in director. The cost of doing so was not subject to vandalism during January includ ·~"South Pac if i c' that country dates to metric immediately known. ing Yamaha, St. Vincent de Paul and Ellens page 5 implementation. He said there are no plans of increasing burg Transfer Company. security or adding more SUB building The battleground in the United Last week a group of teenagers motor States wil probably be the tool kits managers. "The benefits would not off-set of electricians, carpenters and cycle joy-riding on C and D streets were the cost of doing so. I do believe that the machinists. The conversion is ex apprehended and later linked to the theft at newly developed student patrol will be a irst Chamber pected to take about 10 years and Yamaha. valuable asset in improving security," he cost about $10 billion. Much of this •Dance Company Further interviews revealed the youths concluded. cost will be for retooling. :. o . perform were involved in the other reports of city CPD Officer Ken Varichek explained it is According to Dr._ Robert C. and campus vandalisms and burglaries. hard to have tight security in the SUB since page 9 Mitchell of Central's physics de The stereo and tape recorder taken from it is open many hours and to all campus and partment, "it's not just a matter of the SUB were recovered by the EPD. many city groups as wetl. stamping the metric equivalent on The four teenagers, who police said were tools and parts." For example, few Ike Hamblin, county youth counselor, · Daniel Ramsdell English bolt sizes exactly match involved in the burglaries were not mem strongly suggested the college draw the metric'equivalents. A small metric bers of or in any way related to the teenage line somewhere "and say if you are not a Japan wrench won't fit, and a large one is group which caused disturbances at the college student you should not be loitering too large. page l 0 County Courthouse last December. on the premises."· According to EPD Detective Rick Chubb, Both the campus and city police depart The simple bolt presents an other problem. "While it is pos "the members may have been loosely ments emphasized the one positive thing sible to measure English bolts in associated with members of the junior high about the situation was the cooperative mt>tric equivalents, it's impossible group but only through mutual acquain- effort put forth by the two departments.

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