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Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16254, 3 July 1918, Page 6

The Palmerston North and Wellington Chambers of Commerce have been considering the question of daylight saving, and have passed strong resolutions in its favour. The Palmerston North Chamber wants the clock advanced one hour from September Ist to March 31st., and readjusted from April Ist to August 31st. The Wellington Chamber, on the other hand, urges that the clock shall be put on a whole hour all the year round. This proposal may suit the more balmy climate of the North Island in winter, but we do not think the idea of getting up an" hour earlier in such weather as we have lately been having will at all appeal to residents in the South Island. The proposal of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce is, we think, far the more practical of the two.

It is difficult to understand why the sonsible plan of getting an hour's extra daylight for recreation purposes in summer, and saving the expense of an hour daily of artificial light has not been adopted in New Zealand as it has been in nearly every other civilised country in the world since the war began. The only arguments we have heard against it are that it would be hard on dairymen and milkmen, and that it would prevent the morning newspapers from getting their proper share of cables unless Australia adopted the same system. The latter argument is one which affects the personal interests of "The Press" very nearly, but we cannot believe the difficulty is such that the

cable agents cannot surmount it. But even if &ey are unablo to solve tho problem, we cannot honestly contcnd that the personal interests of morning newspapers ought to block the way of any reform which is for the general benefit. We havo the greatest sympathy with those engaged in the dairy industry, whom we regard as perhaps the most hard-working section of the community, but we cannot agree that progress ought to be stopped bocauso of cases of individual hardship.

In the old Parliament House in Wellington, and particularly in the old Legislative Council Chamber, where the acoustic properties were particularly bad, it was not uncommon for tho reporters to record that such and sucn a member, ''who was inaudible in the gallery," also spoke. Apparently the Press gallery in the House of Commons has been having a like trouble. There tho offenders are Ministers and the Front Opposition Bench, whoso speeches havo been so hard, to hear on occasion that the extinction of verbatim reporting seemed to be coming within measurable distance. Already, it is said, important speeches have to bo pieced together by a laborious process, in which the notes of the whole gallery are thrown into tho common stock. Even then, "The Times" says, there are gaps which havo to be filled by intelligent deduction. Tho reporters cannot well rise in their places and command the Prime Minister to "speak up," or invite Mr Asquitli if he "would mind repeating that sentence." But as accurate reporting is in these days more important than respect for the little ways of prominent politicians, the gallery put up a member to ask Mr Lloyd George whether ho was aware of tho difficulty caused by tho inaudibility of Ministers, and whethbr "an effort will be mado to remove the difficulty." The reproof so delicately conveyed was, wo hope, not without effect. Most people are aware by this time that among the various businesses which are seriously affected by war conditions of shipping and freight-charges, the bookseller's is one. Prices of all books havo risen considerably, and the "shilling net" books which before tho war were inducing so many people to become book buyers, and were doing much to encourage good reading, are now, as the commercial reports have it, quoted at an advance of 9d or a shilling. A Sydney paper sees in this state of things—which must he. worse in Australia than in New. Zealand, if it is truo that "Australia receives practically no descriptive travel books, no biographies, and no well-printed editions of standard works"—a chance for tho Australian author, for whose benefit '.a protectionist wall is being slowly raised about Australia by the submarine aud the shortage of paper in England." One publishing firm in consequence rethat it has doubled, and another that it its business. Literature, however, lias a way of finding its own level, and we aro afraid $hat unless the Australian writer can supply the goods that the Australian reader wants, ho will find himself back in his old place when peace restores normal conditions to tho liook world.

Scotland has once more beaten England in giving. Some time ago, it will bo remembered, Glasgow beat ©very record in patriotic liberality by subscribing fourteen millions during its "tank -week." Then England had a "Business men's week," in which every town ajid villago in the country sub T scribed most lavishly, under the guise of buying munitions, from battlecruis&w machine-guns. Scotland followed suit with "War Weapons' Week." The sum aimed at was ten millions, and over eighteen millions was subscribed, an amount more than sufficient to break England's record of £4 p£r head. Many places subscribed double, or more than double the amounts they had promised to raise. Edinburgh's contribution was £2,393,000, Glasgow's more than £3,000,000; Aberdeen gave £413,054, Dundee £381,204, Inverness £200,000, Kilmarnock £220,000, Leith, £352,081, Falkirk £223,071. Some of the little towfls and villages gave magnificently. Tho "Scotsman" mentions particularly Stroma, a bleak little island in tho Pentland Firth, with a total population, including children of all agqs, of 285. Stroma, set out to provide the cost of a machine-gun, but before -it had finished it haa .subscribed no less than £1489, or £o 4s 6d per head, which niay well be described as another nail in tho coffin of the dying belief in Scottish stinginess.