DAYLIGHT SAVING.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19158, 15 November 1927, Page 12

DAYLIGHT SAVING.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN A PIONEER (rapM OUB OWN CpBJJESPQjrpBKT.) LONDON, Octpber 4. It is interesting to learn, in view of the passing of the Daylight Saving Bill in New Zealand, that Benjamin Franklin, a century and a half ago, was the pioneer of the principle. He published an essay entitled "An Economic Projeot," in which the idea was fully discussed and described. A correspondent in "The Times" mentions that Franklin's arguments read strangely familiar to us now. The expense of lighting apartments, the der sire for economy, the waste of sunshine in the early hours of the day.s>ll these were referred to. Franklin then proceeded to calculate the probable saving of expense in Paris if the hours of rising and retiring were made to agree more clpsiJy with the rising and setting of the sun, After assuming that 100,000 families existed in that city, that they each consumed half a pQund of candles an hour, that this continued for seven hours in each of 183 summer nights, and that the price of candles was 30 souls a pound, he stated that the inhabitants might save the immense sum of 96,075,000 livres-tournois by using sunlight in? stead of candlelight. To enforce eco-; nomy in wax and tallqw he suggested! a tax on shutters which kept out the sunlight, and restrictions on facilities for the purchase of candles and pn, the moyemenfc of coaches after sunset.! Franklin was prereminentiy practical ! in all things, and he realised the diffi-1 cnlties of putting the idea into operation. "Ce n'est que je premier pas qui coute," he quoted, and many whp have enjoyed the extra hour of ednlight are glad that step was taken.