DAYLIGHT SAVING AGAIN.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 259, 25 October 1928, Page 8

DAYLIGHT SAVING AGAIN.

PROTEST BY FARMFF— Criticism oi" Compromise. A resolution protesting strongly against the reintroduction by Parliament of Summer Time and thp me-

thods employed to bring itiiinto- force was registered at the > meeting of the Morrinsville branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union on Saturday evening. The resolution was by no

means unanimous, and several members, including the president, expressed approval of the half-hour compromise.

Mr. W. Johnstone said he considered the manner in which the halfhour of summer time was introduced was unconstitutional. Parliament had previously turned it down, then, at the last minute, had put it through before anyone knew anything of it. Protests by farmers had been thrown to the winds. It was, he maintained, a bid for the voting support of the towns. Farmers should not take this sort of treatment lying down. They had protested time and time again, and should see the thing through now. He moved that a strong protest be entered against daylight saving and the method by which it was brought into force. Mr. Bodmin seconded. The president, Mr. Allen, said that on one occasion the branch had entered a unanimous protest against daylight saving. At the same time, when the experiment was tried last year a lot of farmers had said it made no difference to them. It did ;ot strike him that the action of the Government was aimed at vote catching. The half-hour advance would not make an atom of difference to the farmers, and would give a lot of pleasure to the townspeople. The president maintained that it was wrong to pass such a motion, and he was going to vote against it. It was getting back to the old theme, town against country, which was entirely wrong in principle. One class of the community could not get on without the other, and the farmers should cooperate wherever possible with the townspeople.

Mr. S. Ferguson supported the motion. Daylight saving was, he maintained, creating a wider difference between town and country. It had a bad effect on the young people employed on farms. Those living in the towns got off early for sport, hut farmers had to work according to nature. This had a serious effect on the drift to the towns problem. * Mr. P. S. Philpott agreed with the president. The Government had been wise in splitting the difference. It made no difference to farmers and was of benefit to town dwellers. “ It is not a bad scheme, and shows the Government has a few brains after all,” said Mr. Philpott. Mr. J. E. Leeson said that a good deal of inconvenience would be saved to farmers if the trains were run to standard time. New York had an hour daylight saving and the railways all ran to standard time.

Mr. G. Pirrit: Why is it necessary to alter the clock. If the town people want their extra hour’s sport why don’t they get up earlier without altering the clock? (Hear, hear). Mr. F. Seifert said the chief objection was that daylight saving operated for only a few months. It was more important to save daylight in the winter than in the summer, when there was plenty of daylight. As far as sport in Morrinsville was" concerned, he had found that the extra hour did not make a scrap of difference. In previous years tennis players used to play until it was dark, whereas last year they were off the courts while the sun was still in the sky. Mr. A. Topham supported the motion. It was a quite unnecessary measure, he said, and upset the time of starting meetings and entertainments.

Mr. Philpott; Some of you chaps want to join the Bowling or Cricket Clubs and you wpuld -.find out how good it is. rt .

Mr. Johnstone contended "’that 1 if was class legislation, and he maintained that the farmers! viewpoint, should be considered. The half-hour was not a compromise. 'lt was giving something to the townspeople and nothing to the farmers. Further, no division list had been published, and the electors did not know haw their members in Parliament had voted. It was a most unsatisfactory business, and was not above hoard. The motion was then put and carried, with several dissentients.