DAYLIGHT SAVING BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 29 March 1927, Page 4

DAYLIGHT SAVING BILL

OTAGO FARMERS DISCUSS CIRCULAR. DUNEDIN. March 24. The subject of daylight saving provided a. keen, if desultory and indecisive. discussion at a meeting of the Provincial Council of the Farmers’ Union to-day. The matter came before the Council in the form of a circular from the headquarters of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union setting out the grounds on which it opposed the Daylight Saving Bill. Among the objections stated wore that the proposals ol the Bill would make farmers rise an hour earlier, that the efficiency, of work would be impaired, that country school children would have to rise an hour earlier, and that milking would have, to be commenced an hour earlier.

When the circular went on to predict “an awkward period of two or three hours before bedtime in which no work would be done.” members broke out into la lighter. “What is the joke. Air Chairman ?” enquired Air A. C. Leary innocently. •'The whole thing is a joke, I think,” returned Air Reid.

The circular went on to say that this period, which would provide sport in the town, would lie non-productive in the country, and it quoted the experience of Australia as against daylight. saving. Tlie New Zealand Bill would he brought up again next session and every endeavour must he made by the Union to kill the Bill in the Lower House. Air J. Christie: What does the Daylight saving amount to? Mr Reid: r lln »SP people that him written this don’t know. Air E. H. Alui-ray: Is it going to do iinv good? Air Reid; 1 don’t think it will do any harm.

Air Alurney : That’s not the point

Mr F. Waite. ALP., asked what waf. the reason of this communication from Wellington. The purport of the circular seemed to be practically to order tlie executive to eliange its mind. He did not know that they should do anymore than receive the letter. They had already discussed the matter very full v. Air Leary said lie was of opinion that the Council took up a wrong attitude when it passed at the last meeting a motion in favour ol the Daylight Saving Bill. The Dominion Conference had passed a resolution in opposition to the Bill, and he took it that in an organisation like their’s, the majority must rule, lie thought their executive had done a wrong thing and probably that was what the Dominion Executive thought. Air Reid said that their executive was in favour of daylight saving itisl year.

Air Alurney: Prior to the last Dominion conference we were against daylight saving. All' Christie said they were in the dark as to what the Dili nuunt. If it meant that the dairy farmer had to get up an hour earlier il would be very foolish, and they did not want anything like tli'at. They did not want to put out the cans an hour earlier : hut if it meant that the hanks and post offices and other Government ofiiees would be open earlier that would be all right. All- Alurney: Why can’t they do that under the present, legislation ? Ah- Christie said that some people because they wore a collar, thought they could not do a tap till 10 o’clock. “Why the blazes,” he exclaimed, “can’t they get. busy and let everybody (fisc get. busy, too?” A member said it was much easier to alter the clock than it. uas to alter everybody’s ways. Mr Alurney moved that the motion passed at the last meeting be rescinded. The- meeting war. nut unanimous in accepting this motion, and he therefore agreed to give it .-<s a notice of motion for next meeting. Afr Christie asked that the Daylight Saving Bill be circulated among members. Did it mean that a dairyfarmer had to get. up an hour istrlier, or was that just propaganda? Air Waite: Just a bit of propaganda, a piece of tripe.

Air Leary said he thought this had been taken as a joke by the fanners ever since it. was first mentioned, and it continued to be a joke there. He did not think it was a joke at all. He had his own opinions, but he did not think they should discuss the matter further, seeing it Hid already been discussed by the Dominion conference. ATr Preston said this tiling was not si joke, though it was a matter they had been treating as a joke. He took it that those who had voted had done so is instructed by the majority of the members of the brandies they represented.

It was pointed out that a number of districts was not directly represented, and there was some difference of opinion as to whether members should vote as representing certain branches, or whether they should vote according to their own personal feelings.

Air Reid asked if the president suggested tit it every branch should have a meeting before the next meeting of the Council to express its views on daylight saving. 'l'll president: Yes. Air Christie: AYliat if the beggars won’t meet?

After further desultory discussion, the Council passed on to the next business.