SETTING N.Z. TIME

Hokitika Guardian, 2 January 1925, Page 1

SETTING N.Z. TIME

INTKRESTING- OPERATION. WELLINGTON, December JO. Reople who are very particular in keeping their clocks and watches right to the minute possibly do not give much thought to the means by which the Dominion’s time is kept, and how it is recorded from one end of New Zealand to the other simultaneously. Also probably comparatively few people are aware of the part that the Wellington observatory plays in this important purl of our daily life. CLOCK TICKING IN PARIS. 'The normal methord of setting the time in New Zealand is controlled by observation of the stars from Wellington observatory, but on occasions the weather militates against this, and at these times the Government, astronomer, Dr C. K. Adams, who is in touch with the Paris observatory hy wireless, receives European time signals at 7.J0 a.m. At this hour every morning a signal is sent from Paris clock to the great wireless station at Bordeaux, which is immediately received at the observatories at Greenwich, Edinburgh Brussels, Heflin, and Paris, each of immediately telegraphs hack tho exact time at which it received the beginning and the end of the signal, which comprises a series of dots. YESTERDAY’S. OPERATIONS. Yesterday morning Dr Adams actually heard the actual dots emitted from Paris through tho Bordeaux station and its the weather had interfered with the normal methord of settin.,., tli time. New Zealand time was inr a change adjusted from Greenwich lime Later in the day time signals Were also received by Dr Adams from French Imlo-Cliina (Sargon), Honolulu Java, and Washington. Upon the instant of 5) o’clock every morning an automatic signal is received at the telegraph cilice at Wellington post nliioc from Wellington observatory. and this is instantly given out to hot ween 2(l<>l> and .1000 post offices ia all parts of the Dominion. Ordinary telegraphic ‘.operations are suspended for this brief interval, and tins is why file Dost office clocks can always ho relied upon for accurate time. A similar service is rendered to ihc Railway Department, so that the time on tho lailwavs synchronises from one end of New Zealand to the other.