554 



NATURE 



[August 13, 1908 



The committee examined the point as to whether even 

 ihe best of cloclis could be depended on always to show 

 true standard time, and, after full discussion, decided 

 unanimously in favour of some form of control of public 

 blocks by electric synchronisation by signals from the 

 central time authority, and decided that the control and 

 correction of such public clocks by hand is quite out of 

 date and untrustworthy, and should be abolished. 



The committee are given to understand that arrange- 

 ments exist by which, given an electrical signal at certain 

 specified hour or hours of the day, the hands of a clock 

 can be automatically set to indicate the absolutely correct 

 time, and they also understand that such arrangements 

 can be applied to existing clocks at a very small cost. 



The committee are informed that tliere are several distinct 

 methods of synchronising public and other clocks. 



In one, used in connection with large clocks, a slight 

 gaining rate of the pendulum is compensated by arresting 

 the clockwork, by means of the time signals, for the 

 number of seconds or parts of seconds gained since the 

 previous synchronisation. 



In another method, applied to smaller clocks, the hands 

 are mechanically set forward or backwards to standard 

 time by an electromagnet, excited by the time signals. 



It would not be difficult to provide for clocks automatic- 

 ally to come into circuit on telephone and private wires 

 at stated intervals, in order that the time currents might 

 affect the electrical controlling devices of both types re- 

 ferred to above, if this were thought advisable. 



The utilisation of telephone and private wires used for 

 correspondence for the synchronisation of clocks would 

 naturally involve the suspension of their use for conversa- 

 tions during the short periods that they would be con- 

 nected to the electrical controlling devices at the hours at 

 which the time currents were due. 



The system involves, therefore, first of all, a svstem of 

 wiring for the electric signal ; and, secondly, the necessary 

 apparatus in each clock. The cost will evidently depend 

 on the charge for the signals, the charge for the use of 

 the wires and of the apparatus in the clocks. The first 

 and last will be small, and the second will depend on the 

 rate per mile charged for the use of wires. 



It is obvious that as such a system for communicating 

 ■electric signals already exists in the telegraphic and tele- 

 phonic wires belonging to the Post Oflice, it would be 

 -quite unnecessary to set up an independent system of 

 wiring for the time signals. If this is accepted, and if the 

 synchronisation of public clocks becomes general, it is 

 obvious that such signals must not be sent too often, and 

 that they must be sent at a time when such wires are 

 more or less free from the ordinary traffic. It would 

 appear to the committee that for most purposes a single 

 automatic signal once a day, at some convenient time of 

 the night, perhaps at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., would be enough, 

 "but if greater accuracy were desired more frequent signals 

 could be made. If found necessary, signals might even 

 "be sent twice or three times a day to synchronise clocks, 

 such as at 8 a.m. and S p.m., or, in addition, at 2 p.m., 

 when in the early morning and evening the wires would 

 certainly not be overburdened with work, but such details 

 could be considered later on. 



The question of th" public or private distribution of such 

 signals was briefly discussed, and the committee considered 

 that any recommendation on this subject would be out of 

 place, but they would merely point out that the initial 

 signals giving true time must come from a public source, 

 i.e. Greenwich Observatory, and there is little doubt such 

 signals must be mainly transmitted by the wires of the 

 General Post Oflice, though perhaps it is an open question 

 ■whether the apparatus in the dorks themselves for utilising 

 such signals should be a public enterprise or be done 

 privately. 



As a beginning, it would probablv be well to take a few 

 large public clocks in London and ha%'e them synchronised, 

 and these could then be set apart and considered as 

 " standard time clocks." 



The nearest approach to a standard time nublic clock 

 In London at present is prob.ably that in the Clock Tower 

 nt Westminster. From the report of the Royal Observa- 

 tory, Greenwich, read at the Annual Visitation on June 8, 

 It would appear that the maximum error of " Big Ben " 



NO. 2024, VOL. 78] 



during the preceding year did not e.Kceed three seconds, 

 e.Kcept on two occasions. This may be accepted as 

 sul'ticiently accurate for ordinary purposes. 



iVIany other public clocks, on the other hand, constantly 

 show variations, running to minutes, and such clocks 

 clearly should be electrically synchronised as far as possible. 



Clocks like that at the General Post Office in St. 

 Martin 's-le-Grand, at the Royal E.\change, and others in 

 large public buildings should, it is submitted, be auio- 

 iiialically or electrically synchronised, and be considered as 

 " standard time clocks." A few of them might be taken 

 up as a commencement, and synchronised once or twice a 

 day. 



As most public clocks have no arrangement for showing 

 seconds, the exact time to seconds cannot be shown on 

 them, but as most public cloclis are striking clocks, it 

 might be arranged that the first stroke of the hour bell 

 should be the signal indicating standard time, so that 

 persons could tell the time accurately to a second from 

 such signal. 



It remains, therefore, to consider what can be done in 

 the case of London in the first instance. 



The following would appear to be the actions necessary 

 to be taken by the Guild : — 



(i) To approach the Postmaster-General, to ask that in 

 the case of post offices the time signals sent to the offices 

 should actually automatically set at least one of the clocks 

 in each public oflice to standard time, and not merely 

 indicate standard time and depend upon subsequent hand 

 correction of the clocks, as at present. 



(2) To form a deputation to the L.C.C. to ask them to 

 have all public clocks under them, or in any way under 

 their influence, synchronised in the same way. 



(3) To take similar action with reference to the clocks 

 under the control of the Corporation of London. 



(4) To take similar action with reference to the clocks 

 at railway stations in London. 



(5) To take similar action with reference to the Office 

 of Works, which it is believed is responsible generally for 

 the clocks in Government departments, some of which 

 exhibit large clocks, and which, therefore, should be 

 synchronised. 



(6) To ask the Local Government Board to take the 

 necessary steps to secure the passing of a bye-law calling 

 upon persons exhibiting clocks publicly to have such clocks 

 synchronised, or, failing this, for such clocks to be done 

 away with. 



Similar action could be taken later on for provincial 

 towns, and afterwards for smaller centres in Great Britain. 



EDUCATION AT THE FRANCO-BRITISH 

 EXHIBITION. 

 T T NDER the chairmanship of Sir William Mather, the 

 ^-^ committee of the Education Section of the Franco- 

 British Exhibition undertool-c to exhibit to the British 

 public and our French visitors the principles and methods 

 of our national education in all its branches and phases. 

 So formidable a task has not been attempted heretofore 

 in this country, and a very large amount of well-directed 

 labour must have been spent in achieving such a great 

 measure of success. We shall have occasion to point out 

 certain respects in which the results fall short of the ideal ; 

 but the more closely one investigates the exhibits, the more 

 one marvels at the thoroughness with which the display has 

 been organised. The nearest approach from the Wood Lane 

 entrance is through the hall of textile and chemical pro- 

 ducts, whence we enter the west end of the building 

 (300 ft. X200 ft.) devoted to British and Irish education. 

 The chief decoration is a series of pleasing frescoes form- 

 ing a deep frieze along three sides of the hall. These 

 depict in allegorical form the virtues which schools seek 

 to develop, and all have been designed by students of 

 the Royal College of Art. We may mention that all the 

 exhibits — with the exception of statistics and a few other 

 adm-inistrative matters — are the work of children, students, 

 and teachers, from the infant school to the University or 

 technical college. The west wall is occupied by colossal 

 maps showing the exact position of every public educa- 

 tional institution in the British Isles, with panels of 

 statistics. 



