Notes and Correspondence. 261 



theilungen, and the extensive dissemination of the resolution, is 

 at once evident. In English publications a custom has arisen of 

 adding a statement of the ratio i : ;i; to the usually employed x 

 miles to one inch. In America the custom has arisen of going 

 even a step beyond this, — namely, the addition of the ratio of 

 reduction has led to the direct application of the decimal system 

 in the units of measure adopted upon the charts. 



To this geographical societies are urged to give wide publicity. 



The Decimal System. — The Seventh International Geographic 

 Congress expressed itself in favor of a uniform system in all 

 geographical researches and discussions, and it recommends for 

 this purpose the employment of the metric system of weights 

 and measures, as also the employment of the centigrade thermo- 

 metric scale. 



It is moreover highly desirable that there should always be 

 added to statements of the Fahrenheit and the Reaumur scales 

 their equivalent upon the scale of Celsius. 



Similar is this question of the metric system, which reaches 

 even more deeply than the former into the well-established 

 customs of daily life, and has proved not without value in pro- 

 moting international uniformity and simplicity. Although the 

 metric system of weights and measures has made slow progress, 

 and this alone through the portals of scientific work, its appli- 

 cation to geophysics and geography has already made a fair 

 beginning. In England a special organization, entitled the 

 Decimal Association, has taken charge of the matter. The Com- 

 monwealth of Australia has intrusted the subject to a commission. 

 We are without knowledge of the efforts in this direction thus 

 far made in Russia. 



To this geographical societies are urged to give wide pub- 

 licity. 



Standard Time. — Resolved, in view of the fact that a large 

 majority of the nations of the world have already adopted sys- 

 tems of standard time based upon the Meridian of Greenwich as 

 prime meridian, that this Congress is in favor of the universal 

 adoption of the Meridian of Greenwich as the basis of all systems 

 of standard time. 



Publication of Photographs. — It is suggested by the lantern- 

 slides shown by Mr. Siebers and by the photographs of Mr. Willis 

 that it is desirable that in those and the cases of other exploring 

 travelers photographs of geographical significance might be pub- 

 lished and accompanied by short explanatory notes, so that they 

 may form collections of representative physical features of 

 different parts of the world. 



