" TWENTY-FOUR O'CLOCK."

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 80, 13 December 1884, Page 6

" TWENTY-FOUR O'CLOCK."

In reference to the cablegram announcing that the authorities in the Greenwich Observatory have decided to change the system of reckoning time from one to 12 to 24 hours, Mr Ellery, the Government astronomer of Victoria, explains that the change has been brought about by the extension of railways throughout the world. Both passengers and officials find that the system of reckoning arrivals and departures of trains by the "a.m." and "p.m." method leads to numerous mistakes, especially on such great continental lines as those in America. When he was in America, a fellow passenger got out in Rochester, and, having looked at the time-table, he concluded that he had 2£ hours to go and visit his friends. He was back punctually, as he thought, to time ; but to his great astonishment he was informed that the train had gone half an hour. He indignantly demanded an explanation, and was coolly informed that the trains started at Rochester time and arrived at New York time. Now, when the great Australian continental lines are completed, unless some such system is adopted, there will be endless confusion and annoyance. Even now passengers by railway from Melbourne to Sydney find a difficulty in fixing the arrivals and departures of intercolonial trains. The system is now generally adopted on the American and Canadian lines, and the information contained in the cablegram is the result of the deliberations of the Conferences which sat in Rome last year, and in Washington last month. It will probably be some time before the system will come into general use ; just as the Frencjh were slow in adopting their new weights and measures, but Mr Ellery feels sure that it will be a great improvement on the old one. In his opinion the time has come when the various colonies should adopt an intercolonial meridian. There is no reason why we should not have Australian as well as Greenwich time. Mr H. Vanheems, manager of Gaunt's watch and clock manufactory, in Melbourne, says that the change will be found of the greatest convenience to the public. The alterations which will be necessary to show the new method on the dials of watches and clooks will be very trifling, and can be easily effected at a small cost,