394 Mr. W. H. M. Cliristie on Universal Time. [March 19, 



who daily travels by rail, and constantly receives telegrams from all 

 parts of the world, dated in universal time, would probably find it 

 easier to learn once for all that local noon is represented by 17h. U.T. 

 and midnight by 5h. (as would be the case in the Eastern States of 

 North America), and that his ofiice hours are 15h. to 21h. U.T., than 

 to be continually translating the universal time used for his telegrams 

 into local time. 



If this change were to come about, the terms noon and midnight 

 would still preserve their present meaning with reference to local 

 time, and the position of the sun in the sky, but they would cease to 

 be inseparably associated with twelve o'clock. 



The introduction of Universal Time would practically involve 

 the adoption of the system of counting the hours in one series from 

 to 24, instead of in the two series to 12 a.m. and p.m., for as 

 apj)lied to Universal Time the terms ante-meridiem and post-meridiem 

 would be meaningless, except for places on the meridian of Green- 

 wich. The use of the 24 hour system on railways and telegraphs 

 would naturally assist in breaking the spell of habit which associates 

 noon and midnight with 12 o'clock. 



It may be mentioned that the Eastern and Eastern Extension 

 Telegraph Companies already use the 24 hour system throughout 

 their extensive lines of telegraph to avoid mistakes of a.m. and p.m., 

 and to save telegraphing these unnecessary letters. In this connection 

 the President of the Western Union Telegraph Company in the 

 United States has stated that the adoption of the 24 hour mode of 

 reckoning would, besides materially reducing the risk of error, save at 

 least 150 million letters annually on the lines of his company. It 

 is also noteworthy that 98 per cent, of the railway managers in the 

 United States, representing 60,000 miles of railway, have expressed 

 themselves in favour of the adoption of the simple notation from 

 to 24 hours. 



Considering that the only change which we are called on, in 

 accordance with the Washington Resolutions, to make in our time- 

 reckoning on railways is the adoption of the 24 hour system, it may 

 be hoped that our railway companies will not be behind those of the 

 United States in appreciating the simplification in railway time-tables, 

 which would result from this reform. 



[W. H. M. C] 



