—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 12, 1977 42 Pehna. gearing up for metric system HARRISBURG - The actually takes many people who regulate stan- thousands of man - hours by dard weights and measures our department personnel make up the oldest consumer each year to inspect, test and advocate operation in checkweigh items offered for existence, according to Kent the consumer, to insure that D. Shelhamer, Penn- accuracy.” sylvania’s Secretary of Shelhamer said that the Agriculture. “Most people Bureau of Standard Weights take accuracy of weights and Measures made over measures for granted, but it 28>M0 inspections during the Turkey conference set GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Turkey producers and processors will meet here' next Wednesday for the annual NEPPCO Turkey Conference. Scene of the activities will be the Sheration Inn, starting time is 9:15 a.m. Following is a schedule of the program. 9:15 a.m. Conference Registration - Lobby 10:00 a.m. Health Clinic - Practical tips for the prevention, control or cure of puilorum, MG, MS, and other turkey diseases - Dr. L.D. Sch wartz, Penn State. 10:45 a.m. “New Products Showcase” - Manufac turers Representatives will “show ‘n tell” a half dozen or more new products for turkey producers. 12:00 noon Showcase Reception - Provides attendees the opportunity to ask questions, obtain prices in the convivial atmosphere of a pre - luncheon reception. 12:30 p.m. Luncheon - An nual Business Meting - NEPPCO Turkey Division. 2:00 p.m. Update on the Outlook for ‘77 - Lew Walts, Executive V.P., National Turkey Federation. ;45 p.m. Coping with Double-Digit Inflation - H.C. Jordan, Penn State. 1:15 p.m. Open Forun - A different kind of panel presentation where the panelists may ask more questions than they answer and the audience may provide more an swers than questions. Everyone will have an - opportunity to par ticipate...and all may learn something in the process. 4:15 p.m. Conference Ad journs Rishels on top again YORK, Pa. - Rishels Edlyn Farm of York exhibibited a first prize Angus bull at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo. The bull, Hedgerows New Criterion, is co-owned with Bill Rishel and family of North Platte, Neb. In his only previous outing, New Criterion was selected grand champion at the 1976 Nebraska State Fair. Following his exhibition at the National Western he was sold in the Angus bull sale and was one of the high selling bulls when he went under the gavel at $13,000 to Comega Cia of Buenos Aires, Argentina for two-thirds interest and full possession. A maternal brother to New Criterion exhibited by Rishels Edlyn Farm was reserve bull calf champion at the 1977 Pennsylvania Farm Show. TRY A CLASSIFIED fiscal year 1975-76, which The conversion to metric resulted in outright savings provides a number of op of over $200,000 for the portunities for the careless Commonwealth’s con- consumer to go astray, with sumers. In addition, the some confusion coming from bureau’s inspectors checked suspicions that producers thousands of large and small are using the change to scales, tank and LP6 metric sizes to conceal price meters, gasoline pumps and increases. Shelhamer says bulk milk tanker that it’s not a matter of calibrations during the same producers knowing all about period, resulting in even the metric system and-using more savings for producers it as an entry into the con and consumers. sumer’s pocketbook. The theme for this eyar’s Manufacturers are in a Weights and Measures learning process, too, and a Week, held earlier this wrong decision involving a month, reflected the national cent or two per unit could Metric Conversion Act of spell economic disaster for 1975, which provides that them. each sector of the economy Many familiar measures will convert to the metric will be affected by the system at its own speed, change to metric. Weather based on its needs and reporters are already giving limitations. Some signs of temperature readings in this changeover are already both Fahrenheit and Celsius, evident. Manufacturers are marking the weight of their products in both grains and ounces. Road signs in some parts of the country are giving distances in both kilometers and miles. Mail rates will soon be based on grams rather than ounces. Clothing sizes will be measured in centimeters. Carpeting will be sold by the square meter and television sets will be measured in centimeters. Speed limits will be expressed in kilometers per hour and gasoline will be sold by the liter. A 220-pound man will be weighed in at 100 kilograms. With all these changes, Shelfaamer says that once people get used to the metric system, measures will be much simpler. “The system that we’ve been using is so complicated that it’s a wonder we have been able to cope with it. Our system for measuring length has six basic units, none of them related in any reasonable mamer. In fact, most people couldn’t tell you what the six are: inch, foot, yard, fathom rod and mile. “Our - system f or measuring mass is alomst ari bad with five basic units or measure: grain, dram, ounce, pound and ton. And worst of all is our system for measuring volume with nine basic units: fluid ounce, teaspoon, cup, pint, quart, gallon, barrel, peck and bushel.” The metric system has only one basic unit for each type of measure: the meter for length, the gram for weight, and the liter for volume. “The fact that the metric measures are related to each other in multiples of ten is the key to the system’s simplicity,” Shelhamer says. The conversion to metric i"i a challenge to the Bureau or Standard Weights and Measures, according to Shelhamer. “Our job is to protect consumer and producer alike. The benefits of the metric system will greatly outweigh the rough spots in conversion,”
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