Some Posera for Mr Sidey

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6544, 28 February 1928, Page 6

Some Posera for Mr Sidey

(To The Editor.) Sir,™ I notice in your issue of February 2ft a statement by Mr. Sidey with refer" ence to the Daylight Saving Bill, in which he affirms that disastrous results have been falsified and that the Act was working smoothly. I do not know on what grounds he can make such a statement, as it is quite evident’that ha. is not associated 'with the dairy farmer’s life, or his opinion would be very different. The people of this country on dairy farms have certainly given it a trial, but are very much dissatisfied for the following reasons 1. It means, that the farmer has to turn out long before daybreak to muster his herd, and then yrhen ho takes his tally finds he has only a portion of them, and has to return- and go over the same ground again to gather up those that he had missed in the dark, losing probably half an hour, or in other words, adding another half hour’s work to his day’s work. 1 ! 2. Owing to this delay in mustering he connot complete his milking in time to get his cream away, and in consequence has to leave some until the following day, the result being’that (in the very hot weather it will; not keep fresh. So he gets his cream .graded, and one half-penny per lb. is deducted from his cheque: this is more than another half-hour’s work to be debited against the Act. 3. In the evening no sensible man would commence milking in the heat of the clay, but if a man adheres to the Act he must do that, and in consequence the dairy farmers has to start one tour at least later than he did formerly, and. wo must debit the Act with another hour.

4. A farmer must retire early if he wishes to get his proper rest, but fvho can go to bed in the daylight and partake of his, sleep in the way ho has been in the 1 habit of doing ? I notice that some of the schools open at .9.30' a.m. instead of 9 a.m, simply because the 'children cannot or do not go to sleep as early as they ought in the evenings ,and therefore still feel nnrcfreshed at the usual hour of rising. ■

I ask Mr Sidey to justify his statements by pointing out the definite directions in which the good results 61 this Act have been experienced ipstead of a vague utterance to th 6 effect that no disastrous results have taken place, and I must contend that so far as dairy workers are concerned the results have been most disastrous They are working longer hours, and losing proper rest and sleep, which simply spells disaster to the parties concerned. If there is no real benefit from this Act let Mr Sidey be a sportsman, and admit that the Act, being detrimental to the interests .of the producers of this Dominion, should be put aside and forgotten, 1 am; etc., IS.