1887.] C. Piazzi Smyth on the Edinhurgh Equatorial. 19 
the following contrast comes out, in so far as I may have the cor- 
rect figures : — 
(1) Expended on Green- 
wich. Equatorial and Dome 
between 1856 and 1879 under 
the direction of the Astrono- 
mer-Royal, it is believed . £14,000 
(2) Annual budget of 
Royal Observatory, Green- 
wich, 7000 
(3) Salary of Chief Assist- 
ant at Royal Observatory, 
Greenwich, .... 600 
(4) New Objective and 
Dome for Greenwich Equa- 
torial, 1885-86, perhaps . 5000 
But as every one, including myself most heartily, allows that the 
Greenwich Observatory is one of the best managed, most economical 
and most efficient Observatories and Government establishments in 
the world, — the result of the comparison is simply to show that the 
Edinburgh Observatory is most seriously underpaid. 
Or to compare in detail the requisite remuneration of one worker 
in the Edinburgh Observatory, with what is allowed to be the cor- 
rect thing in any ordinary Government Civil Office, please to com- 
pare the two following paragraphs which were printed in the public 
newspapers of this country on the same day. 
(1) Scotsman bTewspaper, December 6, 1880. 
“An open competition is to be held in January 1881 simul- 
taneously in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin for the post of Second 
Assistant Astronomer at the Eoyal Observatory at Edinburgh. 
Salary £100 per ann!^ (Tempered however in fact with an 
extraneous and temporary addition rising by £10 per ann. to £50 
per ann., so long as certain extra work is carried on.) 
(2) Daily Telegraph Newspaper, December 6, 1880. 
“ An open competition will shortly be held for two Junior Clerk- 
ships in the Colonial Office, with salaries commencing at £250 per 
ann. and rising to £600. Five of the Junior Clerks have additional 
emoluments. The higher clerkships, with salaries from £700 to 
£1000, are filled by promotion from the junior class.” 
(!') Expended on Edin- 
burgh Equatorial and Dome, 
under the control of the 
Office of Works, it is believed £3000 
(2') Annual budget of 
Royal Observatory, Edin- 
burgh, . . . . 1000 
(3') Salary of Chief Assist- 
ant at Royal Observatory, 
Edinburgh, . . . 200 
(4') New Objective and 
Dome for Edinburgh Equa- 
torial, certainly ... 0 
