Directory_and_Chronicle_1939 — Page 20

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

.

:

3

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 Ying Tsao Ch'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 old and the new standards together with their approximate foreign equivalents

..

WEIGHTS-OLD STANDARD

10 Wei 10 Ifit 10 Ssu

1 Hu 1 Ssu

10 Chien

1 Liang, or Tael

1 Нао

10 Hao

: 1 Li

16 Liang

10 L1 Fen, or Candareen

10 Fen

1 Chien, or Mace

37:79937 Grammes

1.333 Avoirdupois Ounces

1.Chin, or Catty

604.7899 Grammes

1/3 lb.

NEW STANDARD

METRIC STANDARD

100-Chin

200 Chin

1 Tan, or Picu

133.33 lb.

60.47899-Kilogramme

1 Ying

↑

Kung Ssu

1 Milligramme

1

10 Kung Fen

10 Kung Ssu

10 Kung Hao

10 Kung Li

1 Kung Hao 1 Centigrainme 1 Kung Li

1 Decigramme

1 Gramme

10 Kung Chien

1 Kung Fen

10 Kung Liang

1 Kung Chien 1 Decagramme 1 Kung Liang 1 Hectogramme 1 Kung Chin 1 Kilogramme

10 Kung Chin

10 Kung Heng

10 Kung Shih

1 Kung Heu = 1 Myriagram

1 Kung

1. Quintoi

- 1 Kung Tung

1 Tonue

MARKET STANDARD

10 Shih Ssu 10 Shih Hao" 10 Shil Li 10 Shih Fen

1 Shih Fen

1 Shih Chien

1 Shih Hao

10 Shih Chien

1 Shih Liang

16 Shih Liang

1 Shih Li

16 Shih Liang

31 Grammes 1 Shih Chin

Kung Chin

CAPACITY-OLD STANDARD

100 Shih Chin

500 Grammes 13 Liang & 4 Chien.

(Kuping Weight)

=1 Shih Tan

A

6 Su 10 Keui

1 Keti

10 Ho

1 Sheng

10 Sheng

10 Ch'ao

10 Ts'o 10 Shao

1 Ch'ao

1 Ts'o 1 Shao 1 Hồ

1.0354688 Litres

5 Tou

1.09416 Liquid quarts 0.27354 Gallons

2 Hu

1 Tou

1 Hu 1 Shih

2 Shih

1 Yin