UNIVERSAL TIME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2046, 11 May 1893, Page 15

UNIVERSAL TIME.

The birth of the steam engine has been responsible for many sweeping change's in tho last half- century, but perhaps in no cases will these changes hava assumed such large proportions as by the complete adoption of universal time. That this uniform horary scheme of time will be realised this century seems (says the Speaker) at present very improbable, but that it will eventually come into vogue ia certain. To railways the uniformity of time within narrow belts of longitude has become specially necessary, and the so-called "universal time " consists simply iv having 24 different times for the whole world, each differing from the one next to it by one whole hour. In this way a traveller— going round the world, for instance— would only have to alter his watch once for ever 15deg of longitude, and not, as is now done in some parts, every 10 or 15 minutes. For Europe, at least, another step within adoption of universal time is soon to take place, the bill declaring the legal time for the whole of the German Empire to be that of the 15th meridian east of Greenwich, or one hour in advance of Greenwich in time, having passed the third reading. Last year, it may be remembered, South Germany made the change to the same standard. We hear also that a similar bill has been laid before the Austrian Government advocating the mean polar time of tho 15bh meridian, and it is to be hoped that this change will be made also next month on the Same day as by Germany.