HOW SUMMERTIME CAME TO LONDON.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1919, Page 10

HOW SUMMERTIME CAME TO LONDON.

FALLS Or SNOW AND TKICKY CLOCKS. Snmmev time was introduced in London on Sunday, March 30, and it is somewhat ironical that the previous day witnessed the heaviest fall of snow London has experienced since 1910. The Sunday was; divided between periods of snow and atfnshine, and to make matters more confusing all sorts of mistakes were made in altering the public docks. In the London Sunday Evening Telegram of that day the following skit on the incident was written by Hugh Fraser, formerly of New Plymouth, who is now in London:— There were a lot of protests against summer-time in London to-day, and it happened in this way:— 2 a.m.—Summer-time starts;. it is now 3 a.m. at 2 a.m. 11 mm.—Thoughts of Richmond. 12.30 p.m.—Snowing. 1.30 p.m.—Happy sunshine. 2.15 p.m.—Snowing. 2.30 p.m.—Sun again; decide on Hyde Park. 3 p.m.—Snowing. , '••«■' 0 p.m.—Wait and see. ' The elements seemed to have combined in a new Triple Alliance—snow, rain, and sunshine—to defeat the Government'.': intentions to make to-day the beginning of summer-time. They found another ally in the public clocks, which played all sorts of tricks. Since the day when the watchmaker told me, long after the armistice, that "owing to the war" he could not make & small repair to my watch unless I left it with him for two months, I have relied on the clock at the "Tube" Station near where I live to ensure that I would be faithful to my employer. And it never "let me down," and I never suspected it would be unkind this morning. But it tried to trick. I guessed when it was time to get up, and as I came out into the spring sunshine I found London astir, but, alas! my friend at the "Tube" quite unconcernedly announced that it was three minutes to two!

i cannot excuse this lapse, but I can sympathise with one who haf; always been faithful protesting in such a subtle manner against, being played about with, 1 can think of tins good clock, inwardly protesting against being dictated to about its habits, saying to itself last night, "I will not be humbugged. 'Tf at two this. 1 morning I am going to be made to tell the world that it ia 3 a.m. 1 just won't. Thousands rely on me every day, and I owe them a duty, so I will just strike—or, rather, fail to strike —a few minutes before two o'clock, and refuse to do further duty." And the flood clock did stop, and nobody seemed lo worry. A fellow traveller assured me it was.' 10.15, so my mind was easy, but when I left the train in Holborn. after twenty minutes' ride, I found a eloek declaring it was only twenty minutes to ten. A few hundred yards further on my way saw me gain further time. The next dock said it was f1.30. What a wonderful thing this daylight saving it', I thought! And then through Lincoln's Tnnfields I met good folk going to church, and so I knew I was all right; and then the Law—always definite and punctilious—made matters clear, for the clock at the Law Courts declared it was twenty to eleven, and this was confirmed by the clocks of Fleet street. I reached my office in good time, though once I feared I would be doing a few hours' extra work. Hero is another incident. A man who is as "keen as mustard" on timekeeping had told his staff and all his friends and acquaintances to be sure to put their watches forward the latt thing last night. By way of setting a good example, he proceeded at once to adjust his chronometer. When he got up this morning lie found that his watch stopped just a quarter of an hour after he had altered it. It refused to have anything to do with summer-time. And as I finished writing this it began to mow. What a day of protests against summer-time.