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![handle is hein.gao/gaobabizf0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
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CM
549
COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STAM M _r
WAIIN1rON. D.C. M~dm
B-140339
I W Li, ou1 F. Polk
M.tric Board
ir-15 iorth Lynn Street I.
I,rlinitonh Virginia 22209
Dcar I)r. Polk:
I ar.. writing this letter to sup[,lement our discussions,
b*le those between our staffs, about sore of the conclusions
ir our re.-ort entitled Getting a Fetter Understanding of
th)e t'etric System--Implications if Adopted by the United
states.
One of the viain points in the ret-ort is that under
iresent law conversion to the metric system is to be volun-'
tary. '7:e decision whether and when to ccnvert is to be made
t) .thorc affected. W~e did not conclude, nor even suggest,
that those who wish to convert should wait until the Congrese
decies whether to have either the custo.ary or retric syste
as the pr.dorinant systev. Tc so read the rerort misconstrues
it.. t';rat the report does suqjest (on paqe 56) is that certain
factors, such as actions by various sectors of society and
a r.isunderstanding of the national polic,, tend to foster
etrication for the entire Wation. 'hese factors detract
ircn the voluntary aspect of conversion and lead to a dual
systeir of measurement--metric and customary, neither of which
predo.,inate. A dual systera for any len(cth of tire is untdesir- ... .
aLle. The report stated that the Coneress should decide whether
to continue the present policy or whether it should be changed.
i or have we suggested that the roard's role be a pas- L :-
sive ore,.,lhe Board's role as we see it is to rlen for one
coordtnAte conversion, and to educate the puLlic about Petri-
cation. ',M Beard also .&y bhe able to facilitate the ]rrocess
of ccnverting, as -ong as it does not advocate the conversion.
It should give positive Suidance to those who voluntarily
choose to convert to metric.
I have also become aware of a number of statements ,
attributed to us ewsphasizing the high cost of convertinq to .. ..,
01- .
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