SUMMER TIME.

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 11, 9 August 1928, Page 5

SUMMER TIME.

DAYLIGHT SAVING CATASTROPHE

It does not come within the scope and function of a purely local news- . paper such as we have-established, and are successfully carrying on, to enter .into the discussion of general politics, and the various legal enactments placed upon the Statute Book by our legis- . lators in Parliament assembled. We are in the main concerned with such matters, and such! matters only, as effect the good and. welfare of the Hutt district. But when legislative action calculated to inflict injury on thorse whose interests are our care is "taken by Parliament it is our manifest •~~^. ; duty to declare in words that permit -of no ambiguity our attitude in the matter. And we have no hesitation in saying that in respect to the re-enact-ment of Mr Sidey's Summer Time Bill,a grievous wrong has been inflicted on the vast majority of the men, women, and children of the Dominion. The experiment of putting the clock back an hour dai^-, introduced last session as a tentative measure, and for one summer only, was a triumphant success, and cordially endorsed by every section and class of the community (save one) throughout the Dominion. Its benefits were testified to by the medical faculty without exception, educationists bore witness to the benefits conferred upon the children under their charge alike in health, and mental capacity, the controlling authorities ■of every description of sports, games, and physical recreation gave what was generally known as "Daylight Saving '' their unanimous and most emphatic approval. It can honestly and -truthfully h& said that the whole country was well pleased and also benefitted by the adoption of '' Summer Time.'' In fact its benefits were so generally recognised that the rejection by Parliament of the measure providing for its re-enactment came as a severe shock to, we are sure, not less - than ninety per cent of the people of New Zealand. The debate on the Bill was chiefly remarkable for the utterly futile and illogical arguments (?) brought forward by those members who evidently were forced to obey the orders of their masters, the farmers — for it must be remembered that this is election year. When the health and welfare of the whole community is at stake we do not expect to have such preposterous statements made as some of those indulged in by the opponents of the measure. That numbers of farmers would have to go out of business and walk off their farms (and'presumably join the unemployed); that children wouldn't go to bed in daylight, that babies couldn't sleep, that cows would not longer give milk, that hens would no longer lay eggs, were only a few of the disasters predicted should the Bill pass. And such is the power 1. and influence exercised by the farming community that the House rejected a measure that would have undoubtedly been a boon and a blessing to a very Jarge majority of the public because of some alleged inconveniences to a numerically insignificant minority of the people. It should be another lesson, and apparently such is needed, •of the advantages of organisation and co-operation—one side was organised— the other was not. The damage " is now done. Apparently it cannot be until the next session of Parliament. But that is ,no reason why the majority, who, dn this matter, have been mis-represented in Parliament should not,' by petitions, public meetings, making the matter a test question to candidates at the forthcoming ■elections, by free, forcible and public •expression of their opinions, put the matter beyond doubt when, as it certainly will be, the re-enactment of Summer Time is again before our legislators. Meanwhile we cordially endorse the suggestion put forward by a -correspondent, '' Health and Sunshine in our last issue that His Worship the Mayor should be requisitioned to call * :a public meeting in order that all sections of the community should have an opportunity of expressing their opinions on this important and vital mat- ' ter. Let us hear what the "doctors, schoolmasters, athletes, sportsmen, child-lovers and others have to say.