On the construction of a comprehensive general catalogue of star positions

The procedures that would lead to the construction of a comprehensive general catalogue of star positions are outlined and discussed. Attention is drawn to the problems faced by a definitive reduction of the Astrographic Catalogue. The importance and necessity of the repetition of the original work in this connection are stressed. This would provide at present—barring the development of revolutionary new and fast techniques—the only chance for the very desirable wholesale computation of the proper motions of all stars down to about 13^m.Presented at the Symposium Star Catalogues, Positional Astronomy and Celestial Mechanics, held in honor of Paul Herget at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, November 30, 1978.