NEW OFFICE HOURS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 278, 13 August 1918, Page 4

NEW OFFICE HOURS

IN THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. How tho 6train on <111 important transport service such us the municipal tramways may bo relieved by an adjustment of office hours will be shown to-day, when ucw office hours will be instituted practically throughout the Government service. The offices, with the exception of the Government Printing Office and some sections of the Railway and G.P.O. Departments, will commence work at 8.30 a.m., observe tho lunch hour between 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m., and leave work at 4.30 p.m. By this arrangement it is hoped that the rush traffic will be spread out in such a manner as to afford an easement in the congestion of traffic between 5 p.m. and fi p.m. It is pointed out to those public servants and Government employees who will observe the new hours, and who use tho tramoars regularly, that they will defeat the object in view if they wait about town until 5 p.m., and it is hoped that tl\cy will 1160 the cars as soon as they-can after 4.30 p.m. Tho alteration of the lunch hour is also calculated to afford a largo measure of relief. At noon there is a rush for the cars, a slackening off at 12.30 p.m., and another big rush at 1 p.m. Under iho new order the cars should be comfortably filled the whole time between noon and 2 p.m. It i 6 estimated that the new hours will aftect approximately 4000 Government employees. It will also affect wives, boardinghousekcepers, and restauranteurs, sis far as the serving of the midday meal is concerned. ' The completion of the day's work at 4.30 p.m. should bo of great benefit to tho City Council's electric lighting department, which is working to the limit of the capacity of its plant. Now that the. days are beginning to lengthen out most oifices can do without electric light altogether lip till 4.30 p.m. in bright weather. That should mean a big economy to the Government as well as providing a measure of relief to the lighting powerhouse. The new hours also necessitate an alteration in tho railway cervices to tho residential suburbs. An additional train will leave Johnsonville at 7.52 a.m. each day, arriving nt Wellington at 8.15 a.m. There will also bo an extra train from Thorndon to Johnsonville at 4.45 p.m. each dav, except Saturday. As to tho Lower Hutt and Petono service, an extra train wilt loavo the former station at 8 1 a.m. each day. Tho train now leaving Wellington at 4.35 p.m. for lower Hutt will leave . five minutes later. So far 1 there lias been no alteration in the ferry sorvice. It is stated tlmt between 40 and 50 Civil Servant'! reside across tho harbour, and it will be necessary to readjust the time-table in order to .suit their convenience. There will be a 6T>ecial meeting of the Ferry Board to-night to ' consider iho question.