DAYLIGHT SAVING

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1919, Page 3

DAYLIGHT SAVING

(SCIENTISTS' VIEWS. ~ ;, Christcliureh, Feb. 7 • At ilie Science Congress to-day Dr. Adanujj Government Astronomer, led a discussion on daylight saving. He stated that he considered that it would be a good move if they could persuade the '■'overnment to advance the time in the Dominion one half hour a* the year roui.d, thus making New Zealand time exactly twelve hours ahead of Greenwich moan time, instead of eleven and a half hours as at present, Dr Adams stated that this would help astronomers considerably in their calculations. He was a great believer in the rights of minorities, however, and if any audi change were made the people in any geographical centre should have the right to say what time they should commence work. This had been done in Wellington in the Public Service, where the employees for some time past had come to work at 8.30 a.m. and left off at 430 p.m. Mr, H. B. Tripp said that in any such change as that proposed the people to be considered were those who would suffer most. If tho time were advanced the people in Otago and Southland would suffer. They would have to commence work in the darkness. He would prefer tn see the rime altered the other way about. If a change were made, it 9hould be made for the whole Dominion; it would not worl< if local changes were made. The speaker considered that' the proposal was a political one. The only complaint against the present system came from the astronomers, and th?y were all pood mathematicians who coulj easily work out their problems under the present °v3tem. A letter was read from Mr T. K. Sidey. MP, urging the congress to support the proposal, .<s,r.d adducing arguments m favor of it. Dr C. C. Farr said that lie dia not think that a change shoujd be made solely because it would be of advantage to astronomers The position at present was that our day was unsvmmetrical Our business day was from S a.m. to 5 p.m., that is, four hours passed before the middle of the dav and five after it T t would be beter if thev could regulate tho day bo as to have four and a half hours before und four and a half hours after the middle of the davlight period. The speaker said that he was in Australia during the "daylight eav. ■ng' period, and suffered no inconvenience owing to it. Dr Chilton said that wTTile dayKeht 'avinc had been a success in fairlv high latitude* it was less satisfactory each degree farther south. He could not see why local arrangements could not be made as was at present dene in the bunding trades instead of altering the time of the whole Dominion. After further discussion it was decided to recommend the congress to ur«e upon tho Government the importance of altering the standard time from eleven and a half hours to twelve hours in advance at Greenwich mean time, the motion being carried by six votes to three