NEW ZEALAND STANDARD TIME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1741, 16 October 1917, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND STANDARD TIME.

An interesting report has been made by the committee of the Council of the Wellington Philosophical Society on the subject of New Zealand standard time. It appears (hat the mean time for the Dominion was fixed by resolution in the House of Representatives on October 30th, 1868, when it was agreed “that the time corresponding to the longitude 172 deg. 30 east from Greenwich — which is exactly Hi hours in advance of Greenwich time —be the Mean Time for the Colony.” The choice of llh. 30m. was determined in the first place because it is a good mean for the whole eo' mv. This subject was discussed in a paper on “Daylight Saving” road before the Wellington Philosophical Society on September 27th, 1916 when a resolution-, was carried unanimously urging upon the Government the desirability of making New Zealand Mean Time exactly 12 hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time. The change would be made by putting the clock forward one half hour once for all. The immediate consequence would be a saving in all lighting of a half-hour daily. The conversion of time between the United Kingdom and New Zealand would be made in the simplest possible manner. It would only lie necessary to exchange a.m. for p.m., and vice versa. Thus, if a cablegram left London at 3 p.m. on January Ist the equivalent time in New Zealand would be 3 a.m. on January 2nd. This system does not offer the same difficulties as that of adding or deducting llh. 30m. Apart from the simplicity of the new system, there would be other advantages arising from the permanent alteration of the clock by which an additional half-hour of daylight would be obtained every afternoon. The proposal by “daylight saving” advocates that the clock be put back one hour for the summer months and that it be changed back in winter was not recommended by the committee. Summed up, the arguments ‘in favour of the society’s proposal are: (1) Direct saving in all lighting of an half hour daily, as well as a saving of capital expenditure on plant and machinery; (2) conformity with International Time agreement for exact hours different from Greenwich; (3) case of conversion of times between Now Zealand, United Kingdom, and other countries, with less liability of error; (4) method already in practical use at the Hector Observation, Wellington; (5) precedents of South Africa and Ireland; (6) the alteration would bring New Zealand into line with the United Kingdom; (7) direct benefits to the individual in reduction of period for using artificial light in the workshop, office, and home.