STANDARD TIME. 
 
 REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE, 
 American Society of Civil Engineers, 
 
 ~\T Mil' 
 
 WASHINGTON CONVENTION. 
 
 Tlie Special Comiilittoc on Htamliinl 'I'iiiH' Ihm; Icavo to rtillmiit Lbt- following re- 
 IHU't : 
 
 At the aniuiiil iiifftiiitc of tln' Society on tlui imU J iimavy lant ri'soliitious were 
 pa'^KiM? (liroctini; till' Commiltt'c to take hucIi rttf'i)s:is sdiucfl to tliciii ail^'isal)li' to 
 Olitfliii some exin'i'ssloii of iroiu'ial itnininn on I he 'jiiixii'taar (jacrtti!'.!! o ' tlic os- 
 tabliHliiiic-nt of Stinid ird Time, with t lie view of siilimittiii:{Hoair ili-llaite rccoai- 
 meiKlatloiig as to tho I'Oiir.se it may rti'(Mii oxiii»illcut l.o take. 
 
 ft) accordance witli these iiisti'iictions the Ciimmittee is-iiicd tho i»anii»hlet Uerc- 
 witli fiulimitted, containing vai-ioiin Jociimcius iKjarins,' on th(> (imvstiou. Tills 
 brorhinr, haw l)ecn widely eircnlati'd. in (>vei'y .State of tiie I'liion. in tlii^ adjoining' 
 
 Hi'iiisli provinces, ami in Mexi V series of iimstions prepared with the view 
 
 of elicitin.if all shailes of oi)inion were sent witli the yamphlet, aud attention to 
 them at an early i)eriod was asked . 
 
 KeplicR have lieen received from many iiromineiit men connected with the pro- 
 fession, with railways, with tele^rraitlis, ami with scifutiilc ltodi(!s, ami additional 
 aii8W<!rs from the more distant parts of the continent are (htii.v arrivinj?- 
 
 The character of tlie replies rt'ceived to date has hocu clas^itlcd. Th(! following 
 syiiopnis niiiy he pvosented alontc with each c|iics!ion. 
 
 C^uestion 1.— .Vrcyoii m favor of acom|>rehensi\c system of Standard Time for 
 North .\nieri<'a I 
 
 The ri'plies to this ipiestion may lie .sai<l to lie nnaninioiis. The opinion is i\u\ 
 phalically exjircMsed that there should he estalilished, as early as possilile, a com 
 prehensivc system of Standard Time I'oi- Xortli Anicrieil. 
 
 t^ilcstion 'J. — Do yon favor the idea expressed in some of tln^ documents referred 
 to, of liriniciiiK the Siaudards of Time of all countries inloai^rc inent ! 
 
 Ninety-tive itercent. of tlio answers are in tho allirmalive; tlve per cent, in the 
 negative. 
 
 IJui'stion ;l.-In order to attain the oliject set forth in iiuoslion No. •-', do you con- 
 sider it advisalile to secure a time system for lliis country which would ciimmund 
 itself to other nations and lie adii[i|ed liy them ultiniatel,y ! 
 
 Ninety-live per cent. ;)f the answers are in t lie allirmativc and liio opinion is fre 
 •liKMitly expressi'd that while w>' must |irimarity look to our own couveiiicncc on 
 this continent, as we are likely to 'le the tlrst to adopt a riM'oi'iued tim<» system. \\c 
 should from tin' tlrst make provision for its universal applicatlou. Five pcre«tit. 
 of tlie answers are adverse. 
 
a. 
 
 * ^1 
 
 Qiu-8tl«)n 4. — Kt't'i'iTiiiu lu tlio .Hcliiiiic ftPi- icf,'iilii(ii»it time (pi'J?*'-** "f I'uiiiplilot 
 Is-iiiftl liy tlic Society), diicH it scoiii lo jiomchm iiiiy fcuiiin'.i wliicli ^'cnoriiUy coiri- 
 iiuiid llii'iiiHclvcs t«i ydiu'.liiilfiiiii'iii f 
 
 About '.(7 per culit. ol' tlic ;iii.swfr.s arc, iu tlio ;i!llriimtiv«3— ;j i>i:r cent in tile. ut'Kit- 
 tivc. 
 
 QiicMtioii 5.— Do you tiivor the proposiil to liuvr tlic stiiniliirds of tiiin' iliU'criiif; 
 liy interviilH of oiio liour, t'liiH rtMliiciii^' the nuiiilnir of HtuntliinlH for tlic wliolt; of 
 Nortli Auit;rica to four, \iz. : Mcrldiaiih (2, K, S and T ! (Sec 18 to 21, ici.uch :jo ai|d 
 
 yi.) 
 Seventy-six lu-r cent, of the aufswcrH are in the ulUrnmtive - 24 per ceiii, adverse. 
 
 (iucKtion (). — Do you favor the KUfr^'cHtion lo reduce tUo uuuil)er of niaudiirdrt in 
 Nortli Anu;ric;i to two, way Meridians U and li f (Set; JI.) 
 .Six i>er cent, lire favorable- -'.I4 per eont. adverne. 
 
 QiieHtlon 7.— Do you prefer having only one, Continoutal Htandai'il. say Meridian 
 s, and having; mio uniform liiue throughout the wholi- of N.ntli Aiiicriea ! (See '^l 
 prigeyi.) 
 
 Thirty-six per cent, arc iu tht- iiitirnijitivc— (i4 per cent, in the iiegatlvi:. 
 
 Question 8— If the scheme set forth in the docnmeut n^fen-cMl to (paf:e 2'S) doe* 
 not Keni^rnlly meet with your api)rovaI, is ther<^ an.\ otlicr sehcuic whicli you pre- 
 fer! PleOflO oxplaiu your pnsfereiiee for the information of the ( Joniiuittee. 
 
 The scheme Is very g<?nerally and eorrtlally approved. Several suggtwtious? are 
 made which are entitled to great respect. 
 
 Question 9.— Referring to the suggestions under the heading "Division of the 
 liay Into Hours" (page 31) please Indicate wliich of the throe followliiL,' plans you 
 prefer. 
 
 (A) The alternative plan No. 1, with the hours nuuihercd from 1 to 24 without 
 intorrnptiou? 
 
 Ninety-two per cent, are ifi favor of a notation of 1 to 24 —a per cent, are adverse. 
 
 (B) The alternative plan No. 2, with th'j forenoon hours numbered as at 
 present and the afternoon lioiirs lettered as 'lescribed i 
 
 Eleven percent are in favor— Hit per cent, against tliis plan of notation. 
 
 (C) The present division into half days, known as forenoon aiid afternoon, 
 each half day liaving the hours nuinlittred ideutieally from 1 to 12 ! 
 
 .niter cent, are in favour and (17 per cent, against the itresent sy.item of dividing 
 the day Into two sets of hours, numliernd from 1 to 12 and kiutwii us A. M ,*. IV M. 
 
 Question 10.— In order to secure? iK-rfect uniformity and aeciiraey, do you favor 
 the proposal to have Standard Time disseminated throughout the cjuntry by ecu - 
 I nil anlhority eontroUod by government J (I'agc 30.) 
 
 Ninety percent, are in favor of the proposal. Id per cent, against. In tlieliitter the 
 view is generally expressed that on account of flu- vast extent oT eoiintri , there 
 should be various central observatories, all operating in harmony and mutually 
 usBistiug each other in '■;he work of disseminating accurate time. 
 
 (4uestion 11.— Have you any particular views on the nuestion of Time Keform, 
 not emltracod In the ijuestlons and replies altovc given f If so, pleaae state them 
 for the iuforuiatlou and guidunve of tht) Coiu.ruittee. (If uccossary, on a separate 
 sheet.) 
 
A stiiy niiiiil! lU'irriitiiKf liikc an iiiil;i voiahlc \ lew or |iri))ii>sc iii.Mlillralloii.- ol 
 I lie si'lii'iii(;sill)iiiitt('il. 'I'lic laiK"' iiiajoril \ arr dcciiliilly in favor of icfoini wit lion l 
 delay. Miicliv aliuilile iiifoiiuatioii lia^^ lii'i'it Itroiiglil out wliit'li the Cuiiiniitfcr 
 rui'oiniiit'iiil mIioiiIiI Iiu priutcd. 
 
 M will be seen from the eliiiraclei' of tlie r >|ilies leeeiveil t lat ii i.'iiiarl.-.ilile 
 itiiaiiiiiiity of oiiiiiioii pi'ovails In eveiy Keetioii of the eomiLi'y heai'il from. 
 
 The Committee feel uui'iaiited in ri!i»oftJiiiC that .iiidiriii« ft-om the replies i<- 
 ueived tlit'i'e is a stioii^t ({eiiiM'jil feeling in favor of eHtahlishiiif; a eomprelu nsive 
 systetii of Htatidard Time on the lia.sis of the. Hclieine set fortli iu the papei s siili 
 mitled. That an empliatle opinion lia.s been ('..vpressed in favor of havliii; four 
 ina.i . I standard meridi;'i'..s foi' the eonlinent, diHtlnu;itiMhed as (^. U, 8. and T. or l>y 
 .sni II 1,'eovriaphieal name.s as may hereafter Ite adoptc^d and thar a lar^e majority 
 ol .>i)inionH expre.ssed are In favor of iiuniiierini,' the honrs in eaeh day from 1 to 
 24 eoiiscsentivt ly. 
 
 The opiidon hat< al.so been ureiierally e\prer*sedMnit while our time system should 
 be in liarniiiny with flint of otln-r nations, the necessity for reforin on this e(inti- 
 iient is HO iir;,'eiit llntt we .should not wait for otln^r mitlons to ino\ e in the matter. 
 That we sbonld as soon an prai'tUiable, inani,'iirare a system, the primary objeet of 
 whii'li would be to ninet our own n-iinir uiu'^ils. Hut that in takiiii; tlie initiative 
 we shoulil Inall means adopt asystiiiu eapablc of e.vtensioii to the wiiole u'lobe, 
 andtliit we slionld to some e.Kteiit Kive. othet nations an opportn nity of co-opor- 
 atiiiK with lis. 
 
 The coininittce aceovdingly reconiiuend that ntcpx be taken to obtain tlie es- 
 tablUhnu'iit of a zero meridian which would be (iommoii to all nations for fecUon- 
 iuKttiiia aiKl lon«iliidc, and that emieiirreiiee, with this moasure be soii^'ht I'l'oiu 
 as many untioaallties as may be Indiu'ivl to assist in this dctonnluation. 
 
 That efforts bo inado to lead to thpucocptance of this course ou the other Conti- 
 nents to the fullest extent. 
 
 That failinjjr In tliis effort the people of tin- Western Continent determine a zero 
 nieridian for their own use and iruidanc'.'. and espeeially with the view of estab 
 lisliinj? a system of Standard Time. 
 
 HANDI'tMil) KI,KMIX(i. 
 
 ChairnKtii of Sficrinl ('oiiniiillir. 
 
 WA8111N(in)N, 17 J/U//, 188.!. 
 
 liESOl.l'TIOXS 
 
 I'atiscil till the Aiiirririiii Siitii'hf of Ciril /•:iii/iiiiers. id i.'ie Wimlii union Coiircntioii , 
 
 Man 17, 188i. 
 
 Motion b\ Mr. J. U. r'raiiris 
 
 i^fwood, ('. E. ) 
 
 Seconded by Mr. F. ('ollin«N 
 llisolecil. That this tneetinjtentlielj e(;neiirs In 'he lecommeiulations contained 
 in the vepoft siibniil ted and thai the Commit I e i>i .-eiinested and is liereb.\ author- 
 ized to eonl'nue their ctrortt* to etf'ect the olije<'ls set forth, and also to petition the 
 (^mKrcsM of 'he ITiiited States to take the neeesstiiy sli'p< to have a prinu: or zero 
 meridian eHtablisiied. 
 
 ,K)irN BOti.VUT. 
 
 HecrKtnrji.