February 21, 1980 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 3511 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS THE IMPACT AND COST OF tant costs to convert, massive public confu­ not favored over our customary American METRIC CONVERSION sion and hardship, and economic disloca­ .system. tions that would interfere with our entire Pro-metric Board members showed their national economy and productivity. open contempt for the GAO findings short­ HON. SAMUEL L. DEVINE These disadvantages of metric conversion . ly after its report was released. OF OHIO were confirmed by an exhaustive two-year At a Board meeting in Washington. simi­ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES study of the whole metric issue by the Gen­ lar to the one Just held by the Board in Ari­ eral Accounting Office, which resulted in a zona, Board members were asked at a public Thursday, February 21, 1980 comprehensive 757-page report to Congress forum for their view of the GAO study. •Mr. DEVINE. Mr. ·speaker, there is in October, 1978. Board member Bruce Johnson, who repre­ Following surveys and interviews of thou­ sents U.S. science on the Board, said .of the a great deal of confusion among the sands of business and iridustry leaders In GAO report: · · public about our country's policy on every sector of our economy, the GAO told the use of the metric system. "I think we should let dead dogs lie." . Congress that no major industry or sector Board member Roger Travis, who repre­ Many people have been led to be- of our economy could see or show any bene­ sents small business which ls overwhelming- . lieve by tne Federal Government that fits from metric conversion to warrant the ly opposed to metric conversion, said of the it is U.S. national policy to convert to massive costs and dislocations associated GAO metric report: metric, and to abandon our U.S. cus­ with changeover. The cost would be so widespread and high "As far as we're concerned, it'll get dust tomary system of weights and meas­ .that they could not be totally estimated by on it like anything else." ures. This is not our national policy, the GAO, but were generally stated to be in In my judgment, it is a gross public dis­ and Federal agencies have been ' in­ the many billltfns of dollars. service and contemptible for an agency of str.ucted by Congress not to favor the In addition, the GAO restated the massive · the Federal Government to show such cal­ metric · system over our American lous disregard for the well-being and public · dislocations, hardships, and other smooth operation of our Nation's institu­ system in any Government activity. negative results from national changeover tions-particularly business, industry and In a recent speech before the board to the metric system. workers who are the backbone of our pro­ of directors of the National Cowboy This voluminous GAO report included the ductivity-in order to impose metric conver­ Hall of Fame, our colleague ELDON following specific findings: · sion. The total cost of metric conversion is inde­ RUDD reviewed the metric issue, in­ terminable, but it would be substantial-in The Board has snubbed its nose at Con­ cluding the intent of Congress on this the many billions of dollars. gressional directives last year that it not matter as well as the enormous impact Metric conversion would result in higher favor metric over our predominant Ameri­ and cost should metric conversion ever consumer prtces and reduced U.S. productiv­ can system, and that the Board cease its become national policy. ity. pro-metric advocacy activities. · The Board has taken formal action to sup­ Iii my· Judgmentf this speech pre­ . U.S. economic activity and world trade port the changeover of our Nation's 1.5 mil­ sented an accurate and realistic assess­ have not been hampered or injured by a lion ga{;oline . pumps to sale of gasoline by ment of the harm being done by a bu­ dual system of American and metric meas­ the liter, instead of the gallon. reaucratic · effort to impose metric urement, and there is no evidence that a solely metri~ SY.stem would be any better for This action will force citizens to think in upon our people. I include Congress­ our economy. terms of metric and to use metric measure­ man RUDD'S speech at this point in the The purported benefits ascribed by propo­ ment, regardless of their choice, and to stop RECORD: nents of metric conversion-for example, thinking in tenns of miles-per-gallon. REMARKS OF CONGRESSMAN ELDON RUDD standardization and rationalization of meas­ It Ignores the enormous cost imposed on At the outset, let me clear up some confu­ urements-have taken place under the retail service stations, which will have ·to sion about this whole metric situation. American system without metric conversion. run dual accounting systems and maintain The GAO found that the following sectors dual inventories'in both metric and custom­ I am not in opposition to the metric ary American measures. system f oi' those who wisb to use it but I am of our economy saw or could show no bene­ opposed to the authoritarian imposition of fits ·from metric conversion to. warrant the As coordinator of metric policy for the metric on the American people which is not exorbitant cost, confusion, and inconven­ entire Federal Government, the Metric ience of changeover- Board has encouraged the Department of the intent of the Congress. Transportation to force the use of metric It is not now, nor has it ever been U.S. na· Transportation, the metal products indus· tional policy to convert to the metric try, U.S. engineering standards, U.S. labor, tire load and pressure, ratings on passenger system. the aerospace industry, surveying and map­ car tires. The law which created the U.S. Metric ping, the petroleum industry, automobile The "P-metric tires are not compatible Board in 1975 was originaUy proposed by dealers, the fastener industry-screws, .nuts, with customary tire gauges and service sta­ metric advocates as a means to change us and bolts-:-the appliance industry, the paper tion air pumps, and are an obvious safety over to metric. indu8try, the rubber industry, government hazard. But their mistaken view. that the metric at all levels, and sports. The Board has also encouraged the Feder­ system is better than our own customary By the time of the GAO report to Con­ al Highway Administration to change inter­ American system was repudiated when Con­ gress, the President had completed all ap­ state highway signs to metric-only distance gress c6mpletely changed the intent of the pointments to the 17-member·Metric Board, Information. proposed legislation before ·enactment of and it was in full operation. We have one such Federal project here in the 1975 law. All but one or two of the appointees are Arizona, on Interstate 19 between Tucson Metric conversion as national policy was hard-line pro-metric advocates. and Nogales. rejected by Congress. Despite the intent of the 1975 law that it This replacement of American distanees Instead, the 1975 law continued our cen­ Is not national policy to abandon our Ameri­ on highway signs with kilometers does noth7 tury-old policy of voluntary· metric usage in can system and convert to metric, the Board Ing to improve driving comfort or shorten conjunction with our own predominant immediately set about to achieve this objec­ the travel time between two points. American system. tive bureaucratically, using the power and It is merely an expensive way to force in­ The Metric Board was established only to resources of the Federal Government. creased metric usage and acceptance on the help those companies and individual citizens The results of this promotion effort were motoring public, in spite of the unnecessary who needed help in their voluntary decision reported by the General Accounting Office. confusion and inconvenience that it im­ · to use metric, for whatever reason. The GAO report stated that the Amedcan poses. Congress rejected the proposed policy of public has the erroneous belief that it is na­ The Metric Board's most recent action in ·national conversion to the metric system be­ tional policy to convert to metric, and that defiance of Congress has been the issuance cause there was no evidence that our people this conversion is inevitable. of policy guidelines to all other Federal would benefit from such a radical change to The GAO recommended that t'he Federal agencies, encouraging increased metric metric weights and measures. Government take actions to inform the usage through "appropriate" government To the contrary, there were overwhelming public that it is not national policy to con­ action-including the hint of using Federal disadvantages to metric, including exorbi- vert to metric, and that the metric system is contracting ·and procurement as a way to • This .:bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. 3512 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 21, 1980 . force business and individual contractors to tivfty, and thousands of workers who cannot in· the manufacture of optical instruments,· move more quickly to metric. be retrained under the new metric system all the optics-that is, the glass parts-are Obviously the U.S. Metric Board is com­ will lose their Jobs. .. given metric dimensions, as are the mating mitted to using the full power of the Feder­ Computer systems and data bases will areas of the metal or plastic parts. al Government to impose metric conversion. have to be changed. The reason for this requires a brief his­ The Board is not in the slightest bit con­ All U.S.