Mabch 16, 1883.] 



SCIENCE. 



159 



FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1883. 



INTERNATIONAL STANDARD TIME. 



At the last session of Congress, an act was 

 passed, requesting the President of the United 

 States "to extend to the governments of all 

 nations in diplomatic relations with our own, 

 an invitation to appoint delegates to meet dele- 

 gates from the United States in the city of 

 Washington, at such time as he maj- see fit to 

 designate, for the purpose of fixing upon a 

 meridian proper to be emploj-ed as a common 

 zero of longitude and standard of time-reck- 

 oning throughout the globe." The delegates 

 from the United States, three in number, are 

 to be appointed by the President. 



The Secretar}' of State, under direction of 

 the President, has recentlj' sent a circular to 

 the govermnent representatives abroad, re- 

 questing them to bring the matter before the 

 foreign governments. The circular states that 

 " The President, while convinced of the good 

 to flow eventuallj- from the adoption of a 

 common time-unit, applicable throughout the 

 globe, thinks, however, that the etfort now to 

 be made should be to i-each, by consultation, 

 a conclusion as to the advisability of assem- 

 bling an international congress, with the object 

 of finally adopting a common meridian. He 

 therefore abstains from extending an invitation 

 for a meeting at an assigned day, until he has 

 ascertained the views of the leading govern- 

 ments of the world as to whether such inter- 

 national conference is deemed desirable." 

 The object of the circular is thus to ascertain 

 from each government whether it would accept 

 an invitation "to participate in an international 

 conference at a date to be designated in the 

 near future." 



In our opinion, the action of the President 

 is wise. It is better to interest foreign gov- 

 ernments in the plan, by asking their opinion 

 of the feasibilitj- of holding a conference, than 

 to request them at the outset to send delegates. 

 The chances are thus increased, that, when the 

 conference does meet, its action will meet the 

 approval of the co-operating governments. 

 There is, however, danger that our represent- 

 No. 6.— 1883. 



atives abroad will not be sufflcientl}' zealous 

 in pressing this matter upon the attention of 

 foreign governments. It would be unfortu- 

 nate if the subject should fail because of the 

 lukewarmness of government officials. We 

 hope that scientific men everj-where will make 

 an effort to further this movement by every 

 means possible. 



It is announced that Professor Nordenskiold 

 will take part in an arctic expedition during 

 the coming summer. The Danes, who have 

 for several years quietl}' pursued arctic explo- 

 1 ations in Greenland with praiseworthy energy 

 and notable success, will attempt investiga- 

 tions on the south-east coast of Greenland 

 this summer. A recently received letter states 

 that the skin-boats, or umiaks, are now being 

 constructed for the purpose. 



The neglect, up to date of writing, of our 

 naval authorities to, in anj- adequate way, rec- 

 ognize the services to their comrades, and to 

 the reputation of the nav3', of seamen Ninder- 

 man and Noros of the ' Jeannette' expedition, 

 is exciting unfavorable comment among those 

 interested in arctic matters. Heroism and 

 fidelity into the very jaws of death are surely 

 worthj^ of encouragement, even without the 

 passport of a commission. 



The debates and newspaper comments on 

 an effort recentlj' made in the Massachusetts 

 legislature to prevent the unnecessary and un- 

 seasonable ringing of factory-bells in towns 

 and villages, go to show how far we are yet 

 from a practical application of Emerson's dic- 

 tum, that " the Ought, that Dut}', is one thing 

 with Science, with Beautj^, and with Joy." 

 We should be glad, in this connection, to call 

 the attention of legislatures to the one con- 

 spicuous commandment which modern science 

 has set forth; viz., "You may do what j'ou 

 please in this world, provided 3'ou do not in- 

 fringe upon the rights, the peace of bodj' and 

 mind, and the prosperity, of your neighbor." 

 The justice of this decree is plain to observa- 

 tion ; and the apphcabilitj^ of it to the clangor 

 of inopportune bell-ringing is assuredlj^ not 



