“SIDEY’S TIME”

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 123, 22 February 1928, Page 10

“SIDEY’S TIME”

RURAL RESENTMENT OVERWHELMING VOTE AGAINST "Mr. Sidey is very much astray if he imagines' that the operation of summertime lias not been attended with a good deal of discomfort and annovance in rural districts, particularly’ amongst dairy farmers,” stated Mr. A. J. Heighway, managing editor of the “Dairy Produce Exporter,” yesterday. "In order to ascertain the real feelings of the dairy farmers on the question after a practical trial,” he went on to explain, “the ‘Exporter,’ which reaches all dairyfarmers in the Dominion, inserted a voting paper in its January issue, giving the issues ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ on the question of the permanent retention of summertime.. The response has been so great,” said Mr Heighwav, "as to show that farmers have welcomed the opportunity of proving their antipathy to the measure. This postal vote will not close till March 6, but progress figures show that of approximately 16,000 people so far covered by the votes recorded, 97 per cent, are opposed to summertime. “Many of the voting papers are accompanied by strong letters of protest against the measure. The chief grounds of complaint are that the children suffer through loss of sleep, as it is impossible in practice for them to get sleep in daylight. Earlv rising is essential in the country, and some mothers have written that they have had to drag their children out on to the floor in order to wake them. The net results has been perpetual tiredness and irritability. Adults, too, have suffered from lack of sleep, in farm practice it has been impossible to milk cows in the heat of the afternoon with the fly nuisance at its height as would be necessary by observing ‘Sidev-time.’ The consequence has been that the farmer has had to work just as late as before in actual time, while rising an hour earlier, in order to conform to the rest of the community. Also the period during which farmers have had to rise in the dark has been extended, and. altogether there is strong resentment in rural circles against the measure.” “The country people in their correspondence have made it clear,” said Mr. Heighway, "that they have no objection to the townspeople saving their daylight as much as they like, but they object to being compelled, to work longer hours and endure rising for a longer period in the darkness, in order to give townsfolk an extra hour of pleasure. Their argument is that the townsfolk can run their business to suit themselves and work anv hours tliev like without .‘messing round’ with the clock and imposing discomfort and disturbance upon.them. Mr. Sidey is wholly in error if he thinks that farmers will accept a further period of disturbance by permanent summertime. If townsfolk want it, they will have to arrange to have it’ independently of the country.” Some correspondents have resorted to verse in order to record their lesentment. Some samples of many which are amusing are as follows:— WHY? , Why strain your poor old block, a-tinker-ing with tho clock. When there's many, many other things You could 0 stop the unemployment, and sn create enjoyment. And leave the cocky fairly happy, too. So it you feel you could, and want to do some good, To heln this country back to wealth again, Let God arrange the day, In the good oldfashioned way, And concentrate on sending us some rain. —“Nuggety Dan. PROPHECY. Oh, hark to the voice of the farming community. We darn Sidey’s time with the utmost impunity; ~ , So take back that HOUR at the first opportunity; In future, from Sidey’s time, grant us immunity. —“Verna. SIDEY’S HOUR. If I meet Mr. Sidey On any future Friday, . Scheming out some rare and brainy “hit.” I’ll make him think he’d never In all his lifetime ever Met anyone so beastly-blooming-fit! —"Country Woman.”