Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-27
4 Word About the New Time Stan
daPd.

The necessity of reiteratiOn, where 1t is
desired to have a subject thoroughly I'M
derstood. is shown in the matter of the
new time standard. The railways have
been running on the new standard over
a week. and for two weeks before it went
into operation all the newspapers Of the
country were explaining it. The majority
of people do not understand it yet. They
know that in nearly all localities it IS
different from local time, and beyond that
they have not taken the trouble to inquire.
4 great deal of the opposition to the
adoption OF it in towns and cities where it
has not been adopted grows out of a want
knowledge with regard tOit. Those who are
opposed to it seem to have an idea that 1t
cannot he adapted to business and do
nestle affairs. \ little consideration
would convince them. however, that it is
Just as easy to regulate all their affairs by
the new standard as by local time. The
Financial Chronicle says that one of the
objections to the new standard is that ito
have nOOn-time on the clock at any period
OF the day except at the particular mo-
ment when the sun is on the meridian,
/
such an argument il is only neces-
sary TO say that the sun scarcely
ever does reach the meridian
not a half dozen times all told in year
at precisely noon. even in the existing
system. This system is as purely arbi-
trarv as the new one. The civil, or Ordi-
nary. day is simply an average of all the
solar DAYS for the year, and consequently
the latter and the former do not cores
pond, as many persons enormously sup
pose. At certain periods of the year the
solar day is - or IS minutes ahead of the
ordinary day-that is, the sun reaches the
meridian that length of time before our
clocks are supposed to show it-and at
other periods of the solar day is that much
behind the ordinary day"
Here in Savannah the new standard is
SO minutes slower than the local time.
How can anybody he Inconvenience by
the adoption Of the new standard: 1t is
Just as easy for wOrkingmen who have
been accustomed to begin work at
O'Clock in the morning to begin at 6:24
and to quit 36 minutes earlier at night?
The same is true with regard to business
men. If they desire to conform in
their habits and business to the changed
time. what difference does it make if or
Q o'clock in the morning comes SO mill
utes later than il used 10? They
will not know the difference if the COM
munity in which they live is controlled
bv the same time. The section of country
which has the same standard time that
this city has, includes nineteen States and
three Territories. Very many of the towns
and cities of this section have adopted the
new standard, and no doubt all of them
will very soon. All the great corporations
of Chicago have adopted it, and the City
Council and public schools will shortly.
The banking institutions and large bust
Eess houses in this city were at first dis
posed TO stick TO the old system. They
find the Inconvenience and difficulties
growing out Of the use Of two systems
so great that they begin to see that they
must adopt the new standard. We sug-
gested two weeks ago that the City Coun-
ell should set the clock back and run the
city in harmony with the new standard,
but only five out Of the twelve Aldermen
We're disposed to accept our suggestion.
The seven will eventually yield to the five
or have the melancholy satisfaction of
being alone in their faithfulness to local
time. The community, when they have
suffered a few more of the inconvenience
of having two systems Of time, will adopt
the new standard whether the city clock
is set back or not.