42 UNIVERSAL OR COSMIC TIME. 



" The proposal consists of two parts. (1) The establishment of a 

 " system of Cosmopolitan Time, with plans for the ready passage 

 " from this to approximate local Time. (2) The choice of a Pr'ime 

 " Meridian which should be common to all nations. 



" The convenience of a system of Time-reckoning, which should be 

 " common to all the earth, is easily seen, while at the same time it is 

 •' obvious that if such a reckoning be at all generally used, there must 

 " be means of readily passing from it to local Time, or at least 

 ■" approximate local Time, which is intimately' bound up with the 

 " daily biasiness of life. The means recommended by the author are 

 " simple and seem well devised. The difficulty is of course to induce 

 " tlie different civilized nations of the world to concur in this, or any 

 " similar scheme. 



" "With regard to the second point, the establishment of a Prime 

 " Meridian, common to all nations, the author has adduced strong 

 " reasons, founded on convenience, why a Meridian passing through 

 '• Behring Strait, or nearly so, should be chosen. It happens that a 

 " Meridian 180° from that of Greenwich fulfils this condition, and if 

 "■ this were adopted, the change in existing maps, etc., which refer to 

 " the Meridian of Greenwich as the Prime Meridian, would not be 

 " very serious. 



" The choice, however, of a Prime Meridian, even to the extent of 

 " adopting one exactly 180° from a Meridian at present in use, as a 

 '" Prime Meridian, is one upon which the susceptibilities of individual 

 " nations might make it more difficult to obtain concurrence, than 

 " upon the mere adoption of a common system of cosmopolitan time 

 " reckoning in the abstract. 



" While disposed to k>ok favourably on the proposed scheme, the 

 ■" President and Council feel that no scheme of the kind would have 

 " much chance of success, unless there Avere a general readiness on 

 '" the part of civilized nations seriously to entertain the question." 



Thiis the report of the Royal Society recognizes the advantages 

 derivable from a system of Cosmopolitan Time as an abstract proposi- 

 tion. The Metrological Society (New York) points out the positiA-e 

 urgency of reform in the United States, advocates that the use of 

 local time be discontinued, and strongly recommends the adoption of 

 a uniform Standard throughout the country. In Canada, as in the 

 United States, the question has become one of practical economy. 

 Even noAV the necessity for some more convenient system of reckon- 

 ing Time is experienced, and on the completion of the railway to the 

 Pacific Coast, the necessity will become absolute. It is, therefore, 

 not only in the interest of North America, ^Dut as a question involv- 

 ing practical results of value to every civilized nation, that savants 

 of other countries may be consulted with the view of matiiring a 

 scheme in every respect acceptable. 



