76 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CAlSrAI>IAN INSTITUTE. 



But the new system can only be gradually introduced. The- 

 majority of mankind have firmly fixed ideas with regard to the passage- 

 of the day and the numbers of the hours by which their social habits 

 are regulated. A proposal suddenly to change the old familiar siic- 

 cession of the hours will be misunderstood. The influence of custom, 

 is always powerful under any aspect. It is anticipated that this influ- 

 ence will be the one serious obstacle to be overcome. The belief, 

 however, may be permitted that the change will be rendered easy 

 when men understand that the numbers of such hours have been arbi- 

 trarily chosen ; that there is no necessary connection between them 

 and the position of the sun in relation to the earth in its daily rota- 

 tion, and that whatever numbers may distinguish the twenty-four 

 divisions of the day, the recurring phenomena of light and darkness 

 will always regulate sleeping, waking, eating, and working, and 

 all the routine of life in every locality. Noon has heretofore been 

 associated in our minds with the hour of 12, but among the Jews- 

 noon was the 6th hour, and astronomers have almost invariably recog- 

 nized it as the 24th hour. For a year back throughout the United 

 States and Canada the agreement between 12 o'clock and precise 

 noon has been at an end. It may be said that, except on four or five 

 meridians, 12 o'clock is nowhere coincident with mean solar noon. 

 This departure from an old usage must tend to unloosen the tradi- 

 tional idea that the mere numbers of the hours have any necessary 

 connection with the position of the sun in the heavens. If this 

 innovation has any efiect it must help to pave the way for still further 

 and more important changes than have yet been introduced. The 

 meridians by which time is regulated in North America are 5, 6, 7 

 and S hours of longitude west from the Prime Meridian. It will only 

 be necessary to move forward our clocks 5, 6, 7, and 8 hours respec- 

 tively to bring them all into agreement with the time of the Prime- 

 Meridian which is Cosmic Time, and thus obtain complete imiformity. 

 It cannot, however, be looked for that Cosmic Time will at once be 

 adopted in ordin^y afiairs. A generation probably will pass away 

 before it will obtain general acceptance. The difficulties to be over- 

 come cannot be ignored, and we may assume that it will only be step- 

 by step that the change will be made, the more advanced nations 

 taking the lead. On this continent positive progress has been, 

 made, to be succeeded before long, I do not doubt, by another 

 advance in public opinion, and a genei'al acceptance of the principles. 



