WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1929, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DAYLIGHT SAVING.

HOUR OR HALF-HOUR.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, August 14

The “Dominion” reports this morning that the Prime Minister, in the course o>f an interview wi£h one of its representatives, 1 indi,catecl, in reference to daylight saving.|:P‘that there would •be no radical deviation from last year’s enactment.” Last-year’s enactment, it will be remembered provided for putting the clock back only half jin hour during summer A majority of the House, consisting; mainly of Reformers, had - rejected.,..Mr Sidey’s Bill providing for the put back a,' full-hour, as had'been the case in the previous year/; and the subsequent Concession of half an plainly was intended’to propitiate/&: large section of protesting electors.- The bill did not serve the full purpose for . which it was intended and there can be .little doubt

that the emasculation of the daylight-

saving provision contributed very large- / ly.tp ,the Refonri debacle at the general . ‘'. .; -/THE WHXILE HOG.' /' ’ scarcely credible that Sir Joseph)Vardy; with .this striking expression of public, opinion before him, will repeat the indiscretion of his political opponents last year. Such a large proportion of. the rural community has become reconciled during the last year or so to daylight saving in the full

measure, that the Prime-Minister has

even less excuse than his predecessor had for whittling. it down from an hour to half an hour. Hundreds of farmers who a couple of years ago were pro-

testing against being called out of bed too early, have now come to realise

that. daylight-saving is even of more consequence to them than it is to the town-people. Some of the dairymen, indeed, are imposing daylight saving upon themselves the whole year round, and are finding that tjieir children still sleep o’ nights and" that their cows continue to fill the milk-pail. A WORD FOR COMPROMISE. 1 . Meanwhile ,the' “ Dominion ” accepts the split hour as a desirable compromise. “ Though there are still some farmers and others who are opposed to daylight saving,” it says this morning, “there is little doubt that the Government has correctly guaged the weight of public opinion on the subject in deciding to re-enact for the coming summer the measure adopted last year. It wilt; he recalled- that, this ;wasV»;compromise measure. The first experiment t hertTin daylight saving went the length df ; putting back the hands, of the clock a..full hour. Country folk found that this caused both inconvenience and in Borne cases hardship. By cutting the time in half, and making the period of daylight saving half ap hour only, touch of the opposition to the step was removed, or at any rate minimised.” It is held by the city supporters of daylight saving that a compromise of tlie kind suggested by the “ Dominion” ijsVlaot required. /

; •. i j CITY OPPONENTS,

' So far as the cities are concerned—;(Wellington at any rate- —the chief obijetitions to daylight saying come from .the. proprietors of places of enterfain[inent and the proprietors of places of Refreshment. It is complained that if •lawman gets away to cricket or tennis, gardening or walking, at four o’clock in. the afternoon and exercises himself to; the utmost till eight o’clock, by the accelerated time-keeper, he has little inclination left to go to pictures or to any other place of entertainment. This •is not a reflection upon the pictures or upon, say, the Club; but just the inclination of the man and\ woman, boys and girls, who have spent themselves •in the open air and feel like going to bed. These are the plain facts of the (cage as they exist in the main urban Veas. Just how far they should weigh [with Parliament ia for Parliament to •• ’ ‘ 1 '■ '