New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-05
REPORT on STANDARD TIME.

A. informal meeting of the American members
of the Association Tor the Reform ana Coulncd.Ioli
~ the Law OF Nations, 1T 0lumbla CoIIese Oh june
III fhe chairman Dr. l.. y, l. DaIudiu pre- ~ Il
1,Iicr from Professor William Thomson, OF UlaS-
gov III reference TO what had been zone III regard
10 providing UNIFORM :. stem OF llhe IeVAo"ils'
II, 'vi.w of tne limited line remaining before tne
cnutcreuce 10 be held AT Liverpool ms month,
If WAS decided to secure general comparison OF
views on the subject 10 be submit Gu 10 the Con,
fecrucc A committee has made "a report III regard
a. tbc matter IL states that, admitting that the
standard usually ew. loved Is an accurate arunci3i
timckecper, II Is liable to error oil late as Tue Sdu
ard must be regulated by reference 10 lne h9tsidi
5 'audard WITHIN inc teinory OF the Uniied
safes and the DOMINION OF canada, the report
calls attention to the TACT lhat tnere are al present
P'oo"' iundrrd Inherent standards The
re1olt adds that "thls STATE OF things IS grow
mo 10 he lntoerahlc puvlC OPINION is beginning
a. s,nond inc adoption of some eiiectual means 1Or
abIting the evil. Legislation on the subject Is 3e
0nIug 10 be evOned, and 1t cannot fall soon 10 DC
generally Iesortcd TO- lat Is wanted Is practicai
uniformity OF time reckoning throughout TIC co1ti-
nent" 40 =; 20 or,,,l fo
standard moridians Tor tne esterH Continent
wtfh intermediate intervals OF exactly
one hour each of time, or fifteen
degrees each of longitude, system capaDls
ot heioq extended to the w.oie world by the adop
tIon OF twenty-lonr cqul-ilstant mcrldlanS
This scneme was ong'ui9lly prop9'sed
in 1873. by Professor ADbe. Of Washington
II comDnes the advantages OF universal tlnG sys-
tenn dependent On sluLio mCiidldn lOi al the
vnrd and those of the mum TOus local illne systems
in winch he time of each place Is determined o. Us
ON II meridian at least 10y one not widely distant
from H. Ii universally adopted, me uines SHOWN
Inv all the clocks au! watches throughout thc won9
woud he identical as 10 thc niaute and second and
would differ only as 10 the hour winch would
always be that of the nearest STANDARD
meridian. Whatever the y stem adopted may
Lr II seems 10 be Important That Inc standard
mrudiaus fixed Oh Tor local reference should
he determined by their relation to the
zero meridian employed III the reckoning OF lonsi-
indies And in order that the tine system adopted
for one hemisphere may be capable oil extension 10
tie other tins zero meridian should e one aceeplei
Inv All natious The committee bentve that the
ny,mc meridian finally adopted VIII be the inferior
meridian Of Greenwich that Is, tie meridian $50
ceptee. distant from Greenwich
4 more important proposition IS TO abandon Inc
division of the day INTO two equal portions al twelve
hours each and TO count the houIe continuously
frmn one to twenty-iOur. lie proposed
change is a return to Il usage once pIeVA-
lent IN Italy, and one winch mas us
advantages Fox special purposes, rs with view
Il, promote eXactncss chronology and 10 Iaclltttt
ncroDous observations in science, IL Is suggc sted
Ill The day and the period of the day a. deter
,uupd by the prime meridian should ne chp oleu as
a SID of universal time reckoning, under the name
q. eosmic time" 4 he American Committee are
Dr. +. A. L. Barnard Charles A. Peabody, David
bailey Field NmcenZO BOtta, George ". CulIln
.,d th:rleS H. BALDWIN