Directory_and_Chronicle_1936 — Page 21

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WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

4.

In China, Standards of Weights, Measures and Length vary all over the country. Generally speaking, two kinds of standard are now in use, namely, the old and the new. The old standard was formulated from the Weights and Measures Law promulgated in 1914, establishing a double system, the standard metric unit and that based on Yang Tsao (h'ih or “Builder's Foot" for length' and Kuping tael or Liang for weight. The law governing the new standard was promulgated by the National Government on February 6. 1929 and it is intended to be the legal standard of weights and measures acceptable throughout China. For convenience sake and customary usage it also established a double system; one is the standard metric unit and the other, which is temporary in nature and to be abolished as soon as the people are accustomed to the use of standard units, is designed only for market use. However, the latter is derived from the former by taking one litre of Kung Sheng as one Shih Sheng which is nearest to the Chinese customary unit of capacity Sheng one half kilogram as one Shih Chin which is the average weight of the different varieties of "Chin" in different localities; and one third of a meter or Kung Ch'ih as one Sh'ih Ch'ih which is the average length of different varieties of Chinese Foot" in different localities, thus constituting the so-called 1-2-3-system of Chinese weights and measures based on International metric standard. Such a system, as devised by the Ministry of ́ Industry Commerce and Labour and proclaimed by the National Government to be put into force may also have great bearing on the users of British Foot-Pound?? :. system by taking the following approximate value: 1 quart equals to 1 litre, 1 pound equals to kilogram and 1 yard equals to 1 meter. The Russian and Japanese system can also be thus varied accordingly so as to fit themselves to the International System. The following is a comparative table showing both the cld and the new standards together with their approximate foreign equivalents

10 Wei 10 Hu 10 Ssu 10 Hao 10 Li

1 Hu 1 Ssu

1 Hao

10 Fen

1 Li

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WEIGHTS OLD STANDARD

1 Fen, or Candareen 1 Chien, or Mace

10 Chien 1 Liang, or Tael

37.79937 Grammies 1.333 Avoirdupois Ounces

16 Liang 1 Chin, or Catty

604.7899 Grammes

;

1 1/3 lb.

19.1.

NEW STANDARD

METRIC STANDARD

ATTRO NE

100 Chin = 1 Tan, or Picul

133.33 lb. 60.47899 Kilogrammes

200 Chin 1 Ying

= 1 Milligramme

1 Kung Hao 1 Centigramine

1 Kung Ssu 10 Kung Ssu

10 Kung Hao

1 Kung Li

1 Decigramme

10 Kung Li

1 Kung Fen

10 Shih Ssu 10 Shih 'Hao 10 Shib Li 10 Shih Fen

1 Gramme

= 1 Shih Hao

1 Shih Lint?

1 Shih Fen

1 Shih Chien

1 Decagramme

=

10 Kung Fen Kung Chien

1

16 Kung Chin

= 1 Kung Heng

1 Myriagramme 10 Kung Heng 1 Kung Shih,

1 Quinto

10 Kung Shih

1. Kung Tung

10 Kung Chien1

Kung Liang 1 Héctogramme 10 Kung Liang 1 Kung Chin

1 Kilogramme

;

MARKET STANDARD

10 Ship Chien

16 Shih Liang

1 Shih Liang 314 Grammes 1 Shih Chin

Kung Chin

16 Shih.Liang

1 Tonne

500 Grammes. 13 Liang & 4 Chien (Kuping Weight) 100 Sh Chin 1 Shih Tan

CAPACITY---OLD STANDARD

6 Su 10 Keui

1 Keui

..10. Ho

1. Sheng

1 Ch'ao

1.0354688 Litres

10 Sheng

5 Tou

1 Tou

1 Hu

10 Ch'ao

1 Ts'o

10 Ts'o 10 Shao

1 Shao

1 Ho

= 1.09416 Liquid quarts

0.27354 Gallons

2 Hu

1 Shih

2 Shih

1 Yin