W. T. NEILL.

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in summer and winter arc Large. It is, therefore,unlikely that any such changes will become popular in the Australian States. This applies lo New Zealand to a certain extent, where it may be anticipated that daylight-saying will be mote appreciated in the South Island than in the North Island. Mr. Sidey.] Your argument is that the time set up by Sir James Hector for New Zealand is the most useful time, taking it all round ? There is one fixed, time, Is it your conclusion that it would be an advantage to have an advanced time [or the summer ? — Yes. I reoommend two times summer time and wintertime. Our present time is I hours in advance of Greenwich '( Yes. Then, you think it would be bettor to have eleven hours in the winter and twelve in the summer '{ -Yes. Do you not think it would be an advantage to have the whole hour—that is to say, 12J in summer and 1 I }, in winter ? —1 think it would be a step in the right direction. Mr. Girling.] T understand that you suggest that,- instead of putting the clock on an hour for summer, it should be put half an hour on in summer and put back half an hour in winter ? —That is so. Is that your idea ? - Yes. Is there any advantage in putting the clock back half an hour in winter ?- Only the advantages that I have mentioned in my statement. But the idea of the Bill is really to gain an hour's advantage in the summer. Does not your suggestion only give half an hour '( No ;it gives a full hour, between eleven and twelve, once you have the thing started. Does it give a full hour 1 Yes, a full hour between winter and summer. Mr. .1. I'ow examined. (No. 2.) The Acting-Chairman.] Your full name? .lames i'ow. And you represent ( The Farmers' Union. I am the secretary of the Farmers' Union —the central organization. Will you make a statement?- This question of the Daylight-saving Bill was discussed at our Conference. This Conference consisted of between seventy and eighty members, representing the Farmers' Unions throughout New Zealand. They criticized the Bill from a, practical point of view. The vital clauses were clauses ."! and 4. The speakers at the Conference stated that the effect of this Bill would be that the dairy-fanners, of whom there were sixty thousand out of the ninety thousand fanners in the country, would have to get. up one hour earlier in the day. So that farmers getting up at the present time at 4, 5, or (i o'clock would, have to get up at 3, 4, or 5 o'clock according to the present standard time. They also pointed out that, although there was no real economic break between milking and milking, there was an awkward period after the milking was done. They generally finished washing-up and having tea about 7 o'clock, so that the, actual time they would finish up would be 6 o'clock. And several of the speakers pointed out that that would cause an economic loss —they could not get their teams out to do any more work, and suchlike —they would simply have to put in time, as it were, till they could go to bed. Several of the speakers also pointed out that if this Bill were carried it would mean a longer day, and thus would tend to make life more distasteful in the country, and cause a drift towards the towns again, which the Farmers' Union arc trying to stop. That is their objection to subclause (1) of clause 3. Then, they object to subclause (1) of clause 4. If the Bill is carried it will come into operation on the first Sunday in October. It was pointed out that this was the time of the year when it was necessary to send milk to town without delay, and it would be necessary to send the milk into town on the day of milking. On the Sunday I—-Oh, yes. That would be necessary owing to the. season. Owing to the heat the milk could not be kept from the one day to the next. Well, delegates at the Conference from different parts of the Dominion were against the introduction of this Bill, and the following resolution was passed : " That this Conference is of the opinion that a Daylight-saving Bill would be against the best interests of the farmers, their duties requiring too long a day even under the present conditions, and it would also have a tendency to still further increase the drift from the country to the towns." I may say that resolution was carried with only one dissentient. Mr. Sidey.] Is it not a fact that there was hardly any discussion at all on this matter ? —As far as I can remember, about seven or eight speakers took part in it from various parts of the Dominion. I did not quite grasp the point you brought up about the farmers finishing off work at 7 o'clock at present and as to what they would do in the evenings if this Bill was passed ?—I am only quoting the arguments which were produced during the debate. I pointed out that if they finished at 7 o'clock under the new Bill the actual time would be. 6 o'clock. There would b<; a considerable amount of daylight left, which would be practically waste time. They could not do any work, and it would not be late enough for them to go to bed. What time do they go to bed I—Oh,1 —Oh, J. could not say. What you are putting before this Committee is not your own argument % —No. It is not my own argument at all. I have just stated the arguments educed during the debate at the .Conference. 1 think you said that they would not be able to send their milk away on the Sunday % —I said that they would not be able to keep their milk from one day to the next. What do they do at the present time ? —Some of them send it away on the Monday morning. What difference would, it make so far as Sunday is concerned ? —I only mentioned Sunday as an example. I wished to point out that owing to the exceptional heat during those six months the day's milk would have to be sent in on the day it was milked.