SUMMER TIME.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19150, 5 November 1927, Page 18

SUMMER TIME.

TO OPERATE FROM TO-MORROW. I TIME-PIECES ADVANCED AN ! HOUR. Under the Summer. Time Act of the present session of Parliament summer time officially will begin at 2 o'clock to-morrow morning, when all clocks and watches should be advanced one hour. Heads of families, probably will find it much more convenient to put. the clock and watches on an hour just before retiring this evening. Provided that time-pieces are advanced one hour it is not anticipated that the new state of affairs will cause any general inconvenience; on the other hand lovers of outdoor sports will have in ■ extra hour of sunshine in which to enjoy them.

Some Changes. The changes to be made in Christchurch as the result of summer time coming into operation are few. Church services which usually begin at 6.30 p.m. will start at 7 p.m., but those which in the past have begun at 7 p.m. will continue to do so. The evening programmes at the motion picture theatres—Everybody's, Crystal Palace, Liberty, and the Grand —will star.t at S p.m., instead of 7.30 p.m. The day sessions at the Grand Theatre will continue as at present, noon, and 2.30 p.m.; and at the other theatres mentioned above the ho\jr at which the screening of the afternoon sessions will start remain unaltered, 2 p.m. At the motion picture houses, where the programme is shown continuously, there will be no change from the present hours. Mr' A. Eowley, of the Strand Pictures, remarked that he would see how things went under summer time conditions, and if it was found that the present hours were unsuitable they would be changed at the Strand to meet the convenience of the majoritj' of patrons.

The Schools. As far as the Canterbury Education Board is concerned the introduction of summer time conditions will not make any alteration in 3chool hours, and schools will meet at the same hour by the clock as they meet now. It will be competent for a school committee, on consultation with tho head teacher,..to alter school hours (as long as the prescribed number are ■ put in daily) if it be found that summer time conditions are not suitable.

Trams and Trains. Generally, passenger transport ser-vices-will not be affected. Tho tramway time-table just issued provides for the, continuation of the schedules ordinarily in operation, and the cars will run at the times as shown by the clock. Trains also will run on the same basis. Benefit to Outdoor Sports. It is anticipated that outdoor sports will benefit greatly from the change, owing to the improved facilities for evening play. pricket W *N t> e played for an hour longer on Saturdays, the matches finishing at 7.30 p.m. instead of 6.30 p.m. by the clock. It is possible in respect of many outdoor sports that as the summer advances mid-week competitions will be arranged. The beaches at the seaside resorts, it is anticipated, will attract many, bathers and in jsomc quarters it is feared that, the. existing -voluntary rescue organisations may not be ahle to cope with the position which will arise. According, to some surf club authorities the appointment of paid patrolmen would tend to make bathing safer.

What the Act Provides. Tbe Act provide? that from 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, till 2 a;m. on the first' Sunday in March, the time, for general purposes, shall be one hour in advance of standard time. References to a point of time occurring in any .enactment, order, regulation, rule, by-law, deed, notices, or other document (except in agreements, or awards relating to workers employed at threshing grain, or sheep-shearing) shall mean the time fixed- by the Act for general purposes.' Unless employers and employees in the grain, threshing, and sheep-shearing industries agree to abide by summer time, references in agreements and awards shall i_. . n standard time. The provisions of the Act do not affect the use of standard time for. the purposes.of astronomy or navigation. , The Act remains in force only till September 30th next year, unless otherwise determined by Parliament.

The Legislative . Council, which agreed to the Summer Time Bill, has arranged to meet on Tuesday at 3.30 p.m., instead of 2.30 p.m. JJ;s menH bers are apparently not concerned about saying daylight.