EIGHTH ORDINARY MEETING. 69 



vocated ; and he himself attended at the meeting of the American 

 Metrological Society, and took part in the proceedings when the 

 details of the new time arrangements were officially narrated. 



Prominent among those who have earnestly laboured to advance 

 the movement of time-reform is the distinguished president of Col- 

 umbia College, New York. Dr. Barnard has from the first taken 

 the deepest interest in the question, and few men have done so much 

 to bring it to a practical issue. In the proceedings of the American 

 Metrological Society for 1881 will be found a paper prepared by Dr. 

 Barnard in 1872, and presented to an association which has since 

 assumed an international character, and known as the association for 

 the Reform and Codification of the Laws of Nations. In this paper 

 Dr. Barnard recommends the selection of Greenwich as the Prime 

 Meridian for the world, and he submits the views he held at that 

 early date, which at this hour are of peculiar interest. He points 

 out that "it is becoming a matter of greater importance every day 

 that there should be established some universal rule for defining the 

 calendar day for all the world." 



I have alluded to the valuable report of Professor Cleveland Abbe, 

 of the United States Signal Service, to the Metrological Society, and 

 I cannot deny Inyself the pleasure of acknowledging the services of 

 the gentlemen with whom I have been associated on the special commit- 

 tee on Standard Time of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 

 Mr. Paine, of New York ; Mr. Theodore N. Ely, of Altoona, Pennsyl- 

 vania ; Mr. J. M. Toucey, of the Hudson River Railway ; Professor 

 Hilgai-d, Coast Survey, Washington ; Professor Egleston, of Columbia 

 College • General T. G. Ellis, of Hartford, now unfortunately de- 

 ceased, and Mr. John Bogart, Secretary of the Society, 



The American Society of Civil Engineers, since meeting in Mon- 

 treal, in 1881, has made persistent and continuous efforts in the 

 common interest to advance the movement of Time-reform, having 

 greatly aided in bringing about the important change carried into effect 

 a year ago. This society is now directing attention to a reform of 

 scarcely less importance, the notation of the hours of the day. At 

 the Buffalo convention in June last, this particular question received 

 prominent consideration in the address of the President, as well as in 

 the report of the special committee. Since that date a correspondence 

 has taken place between the Secretary and the Railway Managers in 

 the United States and Canada. Already replies have been received 



