SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS. 61 
with synchronous observations in all parts of the world, and for 
scientific purposes generally. 
11. Local days to commence twelve hours before, and end 
twelve hours after the (mean) sun’s passage over each of the 
standard Meridians. The local days to be distinguished by the 
letters of the twenty-four Meridians which determine them. 
12. Local days will be reduced to twenty-four in number 
within the period of each diurnal revolution of the earth. They 
are to be regarded in the same light in all ordinary affairs as 
local days under the present system, 
13. The hours of the Cosmopolitan Day to be known by the 
letters of the alphabet in their order from A to Z (omitting J 
and V), corresponding with the twenty-four Hour-meridians. 
When the (mean) sun passes Meridians G or N, it will be G 
time or N time of the Cosmopolitan Day. 
14. It is proposed to abandon the divisions of the local day 
into two sets of hours, each numbered from one to twelve, and 
to employ a single series numbered from one to twenty-four 
without interruption ; or as an alternative plan, to number the 
twelve hours from midnight to noon, as at present, and to letter 
the hours from noon to midnight. The afternoon letters being 
in agreement with the proper Cosmopolitan Time letters. 
15. The time determined directly from the Prime Meridian, 
as in the Cosmopolitan Day, to be known by the general term 
Cosmopolitan Time. 
16. Local time to be known by the particular standard Meri- 
dian to which it is referred. If it be determined by Meridian 
5 it will be designated Standard B Time. 
17. It is proposed to have standard time determined and dis- 
seminated under Governmental authority. 
18. Each city and town of importance to have a public time- 
signal station electrically connected with a central observatory 
for the purpose of receiving and disseminating spas tinie 
with precision. 
19. Each time signal station to be provided with automatical 
apparatus for dropping time-balls, or otherwise denoting the 
standard time hourly, or as often as circumstances may require. 
20. All railway and local public clocks to be controlled elec- 
trically from the public time-signal stations. 
The foregoing is a general outline of the proposition. It must be 
evident that the system of Cosmopolitan time would be a ready means 
of meeting the difficulties to which I have referred. It would ren- 
der it practicable to secure uniformity, great simplicity, perfect 
accuracy, and complete harmony. ‘The times of places widely differ- 
