WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DAYLIGHT SAVING. I NOISY OPPOSITION. I (Special to “ Guardian.”) | WELLINGTON, .March 9. 1 'riic •• Evening Post,” which mav I represent the views of the cities rather | than those of the rural districts in rel gard to this particular subject, wonders j whether the opposition to the continu--1 ante of daylight saving is “ true weight” or “mere sound.” It reviews 1 the proceedings at a meeting of the ] Canterbury Builders’ Association the other day at which the talking was all I against the Summer Time Act, and a -j majority of the voting in favour nf-per- '? innnently establishing the measuro. ]j " Quite often it happens in public i affairs,” it comments. “ that a minorr! ity makes all the noise. But an entirely non-vocal majority is seldom a ! ? safe one. since, in a struggle between silence and noise, noise generally wins. i There are always wavorers susceptible ,-J to persuasion, and the people who be--j lieve in daylight saving should not let '* their opjxjnents monopolise the talking. | It is a cause that should be defended y actively as well as passively. OtherI wise politicians may consider it to have j been lost by default.” All this might * lie applied to any centre in the North j island. The opponents of daylight I saving are making all the noise. ! WHAT FARMERS SAY. j Wellington newspapers have i been flooded by letters from anonymous 1 correspondents denouncing daylight .1 saving and extolling the efforts of the ;] “Dairy Exporter” to discredit the | innovation. “Mr Sidcy, in his advocacy of the measure,” a eorresopndent ? signing himself “ Retired Farmer ” tells the readers of the “ Dominion ” this morning, "makes very light of the discomforfs and inconvenience which the farmers (particularly the dairy farmers) tire put to by his measure, and judging by his pronouncements, one is forced to the conclusion that he, and those he represents, really believe that the farmers are specially ordained to lie drawers of water and hewers ol wood, for that section of the community whose vocations do not entail those arduous duties which are inseparable from the farmer’s calling. Ido not believe the farmers will for long be willing to accept either that position, or that of doormats for that more favoured section of "the community.” It is due to the “Dominion ” to say that in this particular issue it published two lengthy letters approving of daylight saving and condenses four other letters to the same effect. TOURIST TRAFFIC. A good deal of astonishment has been occasioned here by the publication ol the challenge addresed to the C anterhury Rrogres League by Mr B. M. Wilson, the general manager of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, and by this time this popular officer must he regretting the impetuosity which led him into a controversy with flic very live body that is securing all the advertising obtainable trom his indiscretion. Mr Wilson has ttnder--1 taken to resign his position in the Public Service if the League can substantiate certain allegations it has made concerning the methods ol the Department and for flic moment it H looks quite possible that he may he j| called upon to fulfil his pledge. But in f Wellington, where the rules and reguIlations of the Public Service are held in higher regard than they probably are in other centres, the question of absorbing interest is the attitude of tile Minister towards the quarrel between his administrative officer and the League. So far, Air Nosworthy, very properly, has refused to be drawn fin the subject, but sooner or later ho must express an opinion as to the propriety of a Civil Servant issuing indiscriminate challenges to outsiders with his I position in the service as bis stake. J AN INDEPENDENT WITNESS. As to the phase of this matter in which the administration of the Tourist Department is concerned it is reassuring to have the testimony of Mr IT. Gladstone Mill in a letter appearing in . this morning’s paper. “for more than twenty-three years,” writes Mr Hill. “ I have been travelling up and down this little country of ours, and I have never had any experience of preference being given—or suggested—to the North Island. It often happens, however, that the tourist has only a limited time at his disposal, and lie must see Rotorua. . . Limitation ol time is the greatest factor with all tourists, and it is unfortunate that the Smith Island is often at a disadvantage as a result. . . I quite see the South Island’s point of view, but it is only fair to the Tourist Department officers to understand the viewpoint of ' the ‘ other fellow,’ and it is a safe bet that lie, the other fellow, will not come to New Zealand unless lie sees Rotorua.” Of course this is fully understood hv regular travellers, and it certainly is not from the administration of the head office of the Tourist Department that the Canterbury Progress League has obtained any ground foi its suggestion of insular prejudice.