1899.] On the introduction of a standard time for India. ^'i 



2. The subject was brought before the Society by Mr. R. D. Oldliam 

 at their mouthly meeting held on 5th April, 1899, and on the motion of 

 Mr. T. H. Holland seconded by Major D. Prain, I. M.S., the meeting 

 decided by 19 votes to 1 to refer Mr. Oldham's proposal to the Council 

 for any furtlier action they might consider necessary. A copy of the 

 Proceedings of the meeting of the Society held on 5th April, containing 

 the text of Mr. Oldham's note and of the resolution adopted by the 

 meeting is enclosed for His Excellency's information. 



3. In accordance with the resolution adopted at the meeting of 

 the Society the subject was considered by the Council at their next 

 ensuing meeting, held on 28th April, 1899, when it was unanimously 

 decided that the views of the Council should be submitted to His 

 Excellency's favourable consideration. 



4. The Council of the Society are unanimous as to the desirability 

 of introducing a standard time into general use in India, and are also 

 of opinion that the preliminary enquiries which must be made before 

 the feasibility of the introduction of a standard time can be determined, 

 or the selection of the standard for adoption be made, can most advant- 

 ageously and authoritatively be carried out by the Government of 

 India; from whom too the administrative action necessary for the 

 introduction of any change from the present system must come. 



5. Apart from the general inconvenience of the pi'esent system of 

 local times the Council ai'e desirous of pointing out, as a matter with 

 which they are especially concerned, the hindrance to exact scientific 

 observation which it entails. Local time, away from the principal sea 

 ports, is obtained by an allowance of a certain number of whole minutes 

 in addition to, or subtraction from, the daily time signal transmitted, 

 at 4 P.M. Madras time, through the telegraph system. The number of 

 minutes to be added or subtracted is printed in the official " Telegraph 

 Guide" and is presumably intended to be the nearest whole minute to 

 the actual difference in time. This intention is not always fulfilled ; 

 for instance Calcutta time, which is conventionally and in accordance 

 with the oSicial " Telegraph Guide " 33 minutes fast of Madras time is 

 actually 32 minutes and 20 seconds fast, so that 32 minutes would 

 be a more correct allowance to make than 33. Moreover the officially 

 announced allowance is in some cases greater and in others less than the 

 actual true difference in time, thereby introducing a further soui'ce of 

 error. Added to these it is not uncommon for small towns to use 

 neither Madras nor their own local time, but the local time of the 

 nearest large city. The Council of the Society is not aware whether 

 this practice prevails in other provinces, but know that not a few 

 places in Bengal habitually use Calcutta time and not that of Madras 

 or of their own meridian. 



