The members of the Prime Meridian Conference sitting at Washington
have decided to adopt Greenwich and to measure 180 degrees of longitude each way, marking West by minus and East by plus. A motion to count the degrees continu- ously was withdrawn as an unimportant detail. Twenty-one nations, including the United States, Germany, Austria, Italy, Holland, Scandinavia, and Spain voted for the meridian of Greenwich, and only San Domingo voted against it; but France
and Brazil did not vote. A great effort was made to obtain a decision in favour of metric weights and measures, but the British refused, saying such a change was hopeless ; and there was a strong declaration of opinion in favour of counting the twenty-four hours of the day continuously, instead of back- wards and forwards from noon. Nothing, however, was done in this matter, progress being impeded not only by national prejudices, but by the enormous weight of vested interests engaged in favour of the present scheme. Sir J. Bennett would think of suicide, and the American companies would go into liquidation.
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