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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 91, 26 April 1898, Page 2

There seems to be much confusion in regard to the relative times in New Zealand, and the portions of America in which the chief interest is now centred. There is a'so a great conflict of opinion as to whether New Zealand is behind or ahead of the eastern parts of America, i.e., whether the Bun rises first here or there. As a matter of fact oar notions of west and ea.t are still British, though we are in the colonies. A glance of the map (Mercator's projection) will show that New Zealand is so far eaßt as to be nearly west. That is to say, while we are between 160 and 180 degrees East longitude, and while when travelling we may still increase our longitude till we reach the 180 th degree. East Cape I ia not far off from that degree, and I our near neighbour, the Ohathams, is actually beyond it and into west longitude. vVe are therefore on the verge between Last and Wist ; and as the sun. is not very accommodating in regard to worldly conventions, when he chooses to shine o' mornings at the Ohathams he sheds pretty nearly the same brilliance over New Zealand, and he is'" there or thero abonts " at the same hours and minutes. Conse» quently, very near New Zealand, places begin lo be west of America instead of east of it. Thus, wo may be regarded as east of America uoross the Atlantic, and Africa and the Indian oceau ; but looking across the Pacific we are wesl of it, and thpro is in ieason why we should noc be behind in-tead of before at least Eastern merioa in regard to time. Convention has arranged matters for us, but if ona •takes up a globe he will see that any place may be behind or before another in the matter of a.m. and p.m. As the sun has to get round the globe .in 24 hours, he oan make the half circle only in 12 bom s, hence no one plaoo can be beyond or behind another more th:i_ 12 hours in time. It may be accepted, Therefore, ns shown in the table published yesterday, that Wellington time is 7f hours behind Washington time, -i.e., when it is noon at Wellington it is 7.12 o'clock in tho evening of the same day at the cipitdl of the Great' Republic, That is how " Mofussili c" figured it out, and he is' burne out by Johnston's latest Atlas, the Victoria Eegina, which makes it 11.40 p.m. at Auckland when it is 6.62 o'cloct at Washington the following morning. A further confirmation will be found on page 200 of the " Postal Guide" for the current quarter Here it is shown that when it is noon at Wellington it i. 7.12 p.m. at Washington, and 6.52 p.m. at New York, but 0.6 a.m. at Madrid (or 6 minutes past midnight). The interest tn tbo exact time has now passed, as it attached only to the expiry of the time fixed in America's ultimatum to Spain, but it is as w 11 to have a clear idea of the subjeot — as clear as mud.