Workmen's advocate., 1890-11-15
JAY GOULD AND ASTRONOMY
The [. ~. Government Helping the Wee tern Union {" Large Income at the
 Expense of our Obsrryatories.


 The Sai,ytoi Messenger for September, 1890, contained the following memo. rial:
 Io Mr Srri,0y of iLr Nny.
 NlR;-Nour attention ishorrby respect futIy called to the ujuy inflicted upon 1 various Astronomical OIaprvHtOrips m the United Ntatc7, by apracliue which has been established at tir L. < Naval Observatory, of supply ing the Western Union Telegraph Cu. Wjlu time signals for commercial u-".
 For considerable uumhcr of year, | h" signals necessary for the regulation uI time pieces have been derived, in different parts of the country, from the ub,"ryatorirs established in those dis luct7, Tn" sums received m payment i1r the signals have formed an ump0r- taut portion ot the revenues by which the phSerNdtprics have been supported. An addItOnhI advantage resulting to tn" obSrTvaturieS from this system con @l~t4 in the fact that it thus becomes apparent tO the people of each districts that the observatory founded among them lN r"hd'rlnG A constant public ser | wee. They are consequently led to take Il more active interest in astronomical Artnrr than would otherwise bp the Cl~r, and the Ob7rrVatOrlts must dpppnd upon this interest for the donations and leGacIcs, hy mrdus of which their scirn- tile researches are supported. But the-,. aouOnUmCal institutions are unhtted for commercial competition with q powerful corporation like the Western Union Tc. IRtrr.tIh { g,,t,.,r..t ,- undertakes tu Occupy the field of supply IHE time signals, aud can obtain the same gratmtousy from the United States Na- val Observatory, it k obvious that the local obseryaturlcs must abandon the contest, with great damage to their means of support, both direct and indi- rect, as has hoen shown above.
 Such is tue actual result of the present policy uf the Western Union Telegraph Co.,, to succeed in which however, it depends upon tn" support which 1t now actually obtains from the United Stafea Naval Observatory.
 That observatory, founded to promote the science of Astronomy in thls coun try, now accordingly acts aa the means of withdrawing the funds which have hitherto been maintaining that science in many parts of the United States.
 The arrangement between the Dnited States Naval Observatory and the Wrs- tern Union Telegraph Ca. conteuplatts the distribution of tImp cignal, from the Naval Observatory to the entire country. Beside the injustice tO private ObsrrNH. tories already alluded to, this plan involves difficulties, which will make any such service uncertain and inaccur- ate as compared with the present auto matic service from the private obserya- tories
 You are therefore requested. by this memorial to consider the system which has been established at the United States Naval Observatory, III pursuance of which tune signals are given for com meryiaj use t0 the Western Union relr- graph o., amt to cause this practice to cease If you find that It Is injurious tu the interest of American Astronomy.
 Very respectfully,
 EDWARD C PICKERING, Harvard Oh. srrNulury, Cambridge tlty. Mass.
 JuuN R. REFS. Columbia College Oh- eervutury, New York;
 C, ", ll0CUU Dearborn Observatory, Evanston, Ills.
 EDWARDS, iiolnEN, Lick Observatory, Mt Hamilton, Cot
 OKMoND SToNE McCurmick Obscrya- tory, Charlottesville, Va.
 WILLIAM ". PNNE. Carleton CoIlcgp Observatory, NurhHrld, Mlun.
 FRANK W, VERY. Allegheny Obsprya. tory, Allegheny. Ia.
 (. A. IuuNG, IIal-lrad Observatory, Princeton College, Y !.
 CARR W, rKrcuErr, Morrison Obser yHtury, Glasgow. Mo.
 WlNsL0W UrTON, Observatory Brown Univ, rsary Providence, k l,
 LEWIS SWIFT, Warmer Observatory, Rochester, \. \.
 !l. A. Il"WE. Chamberlain Dh~prva- terry, Dcuyrr toI !. t. roHrrE, Observatory of Wash. Iugtou mvrrsltN, Nt. I.uHs. Mo. . W. \. NEWTON, Winchester OhSrrya tory, Vale University, New Haven, Conn.
 F.. roLeaur urarbou Observatory, tMruG Ills
 CuA~, A BACON, smith Observatory, uruIt. Wisconsin. WuIIAN \, ROGERS, shannon Obser- NrterN, toih University, WaterviIle, Me-
 EDVW EHANr FErer. Shottuck Oh. ,rmotrD Dartmouth ,llege, Hanover, \. u.
 tiAs lrEcKuoTEE. Chabot Ol,~er yutory. OahHuJ. Col. amt othprs , In commenting upon this memorial the Nld,rraj Messenger observes:
 "lhr above mewlrl1, Was placed in tue hands ut Secretary Tracy several weeks aga, a5ri 4 K reported lN that he i~ m crrlr~r uudrrce vlth the officers of the Western Curou Telegraph Company. Somt o, the persons, N hos. names were signed to this memorial have hai cunte- renee wtL tue telegraph company upon the loiu,s rals, Il m it, aui u, rI>fy cu>. ubtulnrj no >utiSf1ctJOH rhtt,rtr."