^30 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. | Voi,. 1, 



17. The hour zone system has been adopted for ordinary use in por- 

 tions of the three Continents of Asia, Europe, and America. In 1887 an 

 Imperial Ordinance was promulgated directing that on and after the first 

 day of January in the year following, time throughout the Japanese Em- 

 pire would be reckoned by the third hour meridian. The reckoning 

 in England and Scotland is by" the twelfth hour meridian, in Sweden the 

 eleventh hour meridian is the standard, and quite recently it has been re- 

 solved in Austria-Hungary to be governed by the same meridian. Efforts 

 are now being made to follow the same course in Germany and in other 

 European countries. In North America the hour zone system has been 

 in general use for six years. The reckoning of time being governed as 

 follows, namely : — 



By the i6th hour meridian in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward 

 Island. 



By the 17th hour meridian in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, 

 Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, 

 New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, 

 Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida. 



By the i8th hour meridian in Manitoba, Keewatin, Minnesota, Wis- 

 consin, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mis- 

 souri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana. 



By the 19th hour meridian in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, 

 Athabasca, Montana, Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, 

 Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Arizona. 



By the 20th hour meridian in British Columbia, Washington. Idaho, 

 Oregon, Nevada, California. 



18. The adoption of the hour zone system has been the means of 

 removing the chaos of local times which in many quarters previously 

 caused much friction. Wherever the reckoning is governed by the same 

 standard meridian there is complete uniformity in every division of 

 time. In Japan, Central Europe, Great Britain, United States, Canada, 

 and Mexico, identity of reckoning prevails. In all these countries the 

 hours are struck at the same moment, the only difference is in the 

 numbers by which they are locally known ; with that single exception 

 every division of the day is simultaneous. 



THE 24 HOUR NOTATION. 



19. The second important step in regulating the reckoning of time 

 throughout the world, is to abandon the division of the day into ante- 

 meridian and post-meridian hours, separately numbered, and to substi- 



