DAYLIGHT SAYING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1838, 26 August 1913, Page 6

DAYLIGHT SAYING.

MR. SIDEY'S BILL. PREMIER DOES NOT LIKE ITA MASS DEPUTATION. . That political hardy annual, Mr. T. K. Sidey's "Daylight Saving" Bill, which figures upon the Order Paper of the House of Representatives this year as "The Definition of Time Bill," got so far, a few weeks ago as to pass its second reading on a division. With a view to improving this partial success, Mr. Sidoy yesterday headed a numerous deputation of sympathisers with tho daylight saving proposal, which waited upon the Prime Minister (tho Hon. W. F. Massey) and urged him to takp I'P the Bill as a Government measure. The deputation was about forty strong, and represented the New Zealand Sports Protection League, tho New Zealand Sports Federation, the lSew Zealand Warehousemen's Association, the Wellington Chamber 'of Commerce, and various local bodies and sports bodies.

Mr. Sidoy, in introducing the deputation, read an apology for absence from tile Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke). The deputation was representative, he stated, not only of Wellington citizens, but in some cases iras also a Dominion deputation. Its largely representative character, ho contended, was an indication of the fact that there was a desire for daylight saving on the part of a very large section of the community. The Bill beforo the House sought to make the system applicable to the three months in tho year in which the days wero longest, November, December, and January. At the beginning of November, the sun rose at 4 a.m., and shortly afterwards it roso at 3 a.m. Tho Bill would reach committal stage on Wednesday night, but such a Bill, in the hands of a private member, was very easily blocked. The object of the deputation was to' urge tlio Prime Minister to tako tlio Bill up. They did not ask that the Bill should bo mado a policy measure, but that the feeling of the House should bo taken upon it. The ,division upon the second reading showed that a substantial majority of the members of the House were in favour of the proposal. The Promotion of Health. The Hon. Dr. Collins said that, as a medical man, he was in favour of daylight saving, and believed that its adoption would have an important effect upon the well-being of the peoplo. Thousands and thousands of people iu tho Old Country wero trying to promote a Daylight Saving Bill. If the reform was necessary in Great Britain it was infinitely more necessary hero where thoro was no long twilight. In this country young peoplo had lost tho senso of recreation which thoy ought to have, and an extra hour of daylight in tho afternoon would bo a great boon to them. Ho emphasised tho value of sunlight and fresh air in building up health and resisting power against disease. Tho last confcrence, of Dominion medical men, upon tho subject of tuberculosis, had recommended tho establishment of open-air schools. Mr. W. J. Lees said that ho had been asked to speak on behalf of the Warehousemen's Association which supported the proposal. Farmers opposed the proposal, but sinco they lived all their time in the open air, while commercial men spent most of their timo

indoors, the latter deserved somo consideration. Warehousemen could not move in tho matter alone because different occupations were to a great extent interdependent. If the warehouses opened earlier than other'establishments the employees would be doprived of such facilities as trains, trams, and ferries.

Mr. R. Fletcher said that that was not the time for argument for or against tho Bill. The Ilrinie Minister asked whether the system had been tried successfully in any country in tho world. Mr. Fletcher said that ho. could not cite such a country, but that was 110 argument against.the Bill. Mr. Mnsse,y: It would bo a ■ very strong argument in favour of tho Bill if there wero such a country. Mr. Fletcher expressed a hope that tho Prime. Minister would maintain Now Zealand's reputation for advanced legislation. H© heartily commended tho proposal embodied in Mr. Sidoy's Bill. Mr. 0. W. Jones said that 110 had been asked by tho Council of the Wei-

lington Chamber of Commerce to heartily support the principle of the Bill. Ho had hardly found a solitary man in town who was not in favour of the Bill as soon as he had grasped its principles. Tho real objection came from tho country districts. Deprived, of Sunlight. Mr. 8. Kirkcaldie said that figures he had obtained from the Labour Department allowed that no fewer than 48,958 persons came under tho operation of the Shops and Officos Act. Not one of those individuals left off work before six o'clock in the afternoon, and a large number of people worked in factories under similar conditions. The number of people who would benefit if daylight saving were introduced' was thus very large. In a town like Wellington, if people worked until 6 p.m. they got no sunlight in the evening and had to their sunlight before breakfast or go without. Owing to tho "splendid isolation" of Now Zealand, Mr. Kirkcaldie added, daylight saving could be adopted here without affecting tho interests of any other country. Mr. Sidey said that it -was truo that daylight saving had never been tried by any other country. It. had been tried in isolated towns in Canada. Tho idea was a new one mooted not very long since. Mr. Hudson first propounded tho scheme, before tho Philosophical Society in Wellington, a number of years jieforo the proposal was mooted in the Old Country. Now it was being iigitated in all the States of Australia, in Canada, and in the Old Country. New Zealand had taken tho first move in other directions, ajid it seemed to. him that they would-be going on right lines if they led in this too.

PRIME MINISTER IN REPLY. "A FATAL OBJECTION." Tho Prime Minister said that ho waa very glad to have heard the representations of t'lie deputation, but tlie.v would understand that as head of tho Government he must look at an important matter of this kind from the point of viow of tho whole community, and not from that of any one particular class. He must consider tho people engaged in the primary industries, the eight to ten thousand railway employees, and peoplo engaged in, tho shipping trade. Also 'he must consider the relations of tho Dominion with other States. One fatal objection, to tho proposal was that tho peoplo would never put up with tho friction that would result if the clock wore put forward ait one period of tho year and back at another. If any arrangement at all wore made it would liavo to. bo one that would stand all the year round, and in that respect tho Bill before tho House this year was not an improvement, upon the Bill of past years. Tho daylight saving system had been tried, ho understood, in some of the cities of Canada, with varied results. Ho wished to direct attention to what had been done in South Australia, There, for a iimnboi,

of reasons, the clock had been put forward half an hour, a few years ago, and it had remained at that. So far as ho could ascertain, the innovation Iliad worked very well indeed. He suggested ■that they should look into tho South Australian experiment, because, if it had worked there, it might work in Now Zealand. Some of the country industries would bo seriously hampered if tlio elocjc were put forward an hour. In tho agricultural industry, for instance, it would bo exceedingly awkward. Harvesting H'ork could liot bo started at daylight. It was necessary that tlio sun should have been shining for a time before a crop could bo oporated upon. If it were proposed to apply the system only to tlio cities and towns, ho believed it would work very well indeed, but to apply it all round would be fatal, and he did not think that the proposal to alter the clock twice a year would apply in this or any other country. He again advised them to look into the position in South Australia. Mr. Sidoy: I am quite familiar with it. A Possibility. Mr. Mossey: I have not heard it mentioned. It is just possible that wo might put the clock forward half an. hour in Now Zealand as in South Australia. He continued that the, proposal was not one in oonneotion with which they could make rash experiments. It would have to bo looked mto very thoroughly from every possible point of view before it could become the law of thiß country. He would submit the proposals of tlio deputation to Cabinet, but hardly thought they would be taken up so far as this session was concerned at any rate.

Mr. Sidey, in thanking the Prime Minister, expressed a hope that the other members of the Government might look more favourably upon the daylight saving proposal t'han lie had done.