THE REFORMATION IN TIME-KEEPING. 149 



continued study of the peculiarities of the situation. Whatever change 

 was proposed must affect as little as possible the relations which pre- 

 viously existed between railway lines and business communities. 



A complete system of standard time was finally devised and sub- 

 mitted in April, 1883, to several railway conventions, assembled to 

 consider other subjects, at which about fifty important companies were 

 represented. The system proposed was deemed practicable, and rec- 

 ommended for adoption, by the railway ofiicials present at these con- 

 ventions. It involved the total abolition of the use of local time by 

 the public, except at points situated on the governing meridians. 



A theory of reform had been under consideration by scientific so- 

 cieties for years, and several systems of standard time had been pro- 

 posed, founded upon this theory, without practical result. Many in- 

 vestigators of the problem among railway ofiicials and scientists had 

 independently arrived at the conclusion that this theory was the cor- 

 rect one. It was based upon the idea of grouping sections of the 

 country together under the same standard with an even-hour differ- 

 ence between the standards of the adjoining groups. "Eastern stand- 

 ard time," which is the standard of the section in which Boston, New 

 York City, Philadelphia, Washington, etc., are located, is simply the 

 mean time of the seventy-fifth meridian west from Greenwich, and the 

 time kept in all these cities is now precisely alike. The dotted lines 

 on the right and left of the diagram represent the mean times formerly 

 kept at New York city and Washington in their relation to " East- 

 ern " standard time. If a curved line were projected on one of these 

 dotted lines parallel with the curved line on the diagram, and at the 

 same distance, its relation to the central perpendicular line would rep- 

 resent the relation which solar time at New York or Washington bears 

 to the standard time of the seventy -fifth meridian. 



In the various discussions of the question a difficulty arose in de- 

 ciding upon the best governing meridian. Should it be Greenwich, 

 Washington, or New York ? Each had its advocates. If this ques- 

 tion could be settled, a more serious one arose in determining the 

 proper lines upon which the sections could be divided. The result of 

 its adoption has proved that the system proposed in April, 1883, solved 

 these questions satisfactorily. This system is now in force, and is 

 represented in outline on the map which appears on page 150. It will 

 be noticed that the dividing lines are irregular. Communities near 

 the border which have adopted the system, use the standard east or 

 west of their locations according to the direction in which their busi- 

 ness interests lie. In other words, the question is determined by con- 

 venience of use, as questions in regard to time-keeping have always 

 been determined. The peculiarities of ownership or operation of the 

 railroads determine their points of change. Legislative enactment will 

 doubtless ultimately define the precise boundaries of the sections of 

 countries to be governed by each standard. 



