“Fair Run ” Wanted

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 411, 20 July 1928, Page 13

“Fair Run ” Wanted

From yestgrday*g late Edition

DAYLIGHT SAVING BILL

Mr. Coates Approached

“QUESTION FOR PARLIAxMENT,” IS REPLY

Press Association.

WELLINGTON, Thursday AN assurance that the Bummer Time Bill would have “a fair ■run” in the House of Representatives this session "... sought from the Prime Minister to-day, by a deputation representing commercial, manufacturing, medical and educatioi interests, which stressed the benefits derived by a vast major ity of the people from the trial given to the scheme la-! summer.

Mr. Coates said that * Parliament would have an opportunity of considering the measure. The deputatiou consisted of Mr. D. J. McGowan (president of the Ass< ciated Chambers of Commerce), Mr. A. Fletcher (Wellington Chamber of Commerce). Mr. F. Campbell and Mr. L. R. Partridge (manufacturers' interests), Dr. E. L. Marchant (medical profession). The fact that the returns of produce last season had not borne out the prediction made by objectors to daylight saving was pointed out by Mr. McGowan, who made a request that the Bill be given the same fair run as it had last session.

Supporting this plea, Mr. Campbell said that a committee had been making investigations on behalf of the Manufacturers’ Association as to the hardships caused by the working of the Act last year, and he said that frankly they had had a great diffi-

culty in finding real objections. There were one or two cases of inconvenience. For instance, railway trains had been altered, but be thought that was hardly necessary* Mr. Coates: It was necessary. Quite a number of alterations had to be made. Mr. Campbell referred to the gen-* eral benefit to other sections of the community, and pointed out that there had been no diminution in the output* The unanimous desire of tho workers throughout the country for the Act to be made permanent, though perhaps not this year, was referred to by Mr. Fletcher, who said he could also speak of the unanimity of the business men. Dr. Marchant said that a unanimous vote had been made among the medical divisions of the Dominion in favour of a continuance of the scheme, which last year had been a great success. Mr. Parkinson said that teacher 3 were also unanimous in support. “We manufacturers have tried to avoid the cry, ‘Town v. Country,' *• declared Mr. Partridge, “but that position is being forced on us, and it may be necessary to bring it before the country before very long. It is unquestionable that the majority >,( the people favour daylight saving. ' Replying to the deputatiou. Mr. Coates said that the general domestic condition of the people must be the first consideration. The basis of our national life was our national prosperity from a production point of view. The member In charge of the Summer Time Bill had not discussed it with him.

It was a matter for Parliament to consider, and he took it that Parliament would be given an opportunity to discuss the measure.

Probably members would have something to say as to how the Act had worked in urban and rural districts.