C. M. BOWDEN.]

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1.—16.

that there are difficulties if the clock is put forward in winter-time, particularly as regards Southland, I am familiar with some of the arguments put forward, principally as regards Southland in wintertime. T was very interested in reading the report of a delegation which 1 think waited upon the Prime, Minister when he suggested that what they desired could be obtained by agreement between the employers and the employees. If so, could not an arrangement be made to exempt Southland ? Do you not realize that there are great difficulties in making .mutual arrangements between employers and employees in connection with daylight-saving ? —Yes. I believe that if anything is to be done it will have to be done by legislative enactment. It seems to me that individual arrangements would be unworkable. Would there not be some objection in the southern part of New Zealand with respect to the half-hour in the winter-time ?—Probably. But, of course, it would be affecting a rather smaller section of the community. The rights of the majority of the members of the community should not be disregarded. [s it not in the interests of the whole of New Zealand that there should be the same hours in the southern part as in the northern part ? —Speaking generally, of course, that is so. But Ido not think the difficulty is insuperable. There might be a half-hour difference as between Wellington and Invercargill, let us say. Are you aware that the result would probably be to bring about a change of office hours in the south in the winter-time ?—Yes. Are yon aware that in Dunedin they have had hydro-electric power for some considerable time ? —I was not aware of that. And they have a sliding scale of prices by which the electricity is sold, the higher prices being at the time of the greatest demand —the peak load —and you will recognize that under such circumstances it would be impossible for the employers to obtain power when the lower-priced power is on ? —Yes. I was not aware that they were in that position. And that therefore they are against the twelve-hours proposal ?—I did not know that. Mr. Girling.] Are you aware that the Dominion Farmers' Conference passed a resolution opposing the Daylight-saving Bill ?■ -1 have a recollection of reading some newspaper reports to that effect a little time ago. Do you suggest that they have not given the matter proper consideration ? 1 think the principle has not been properly explained to them. The putting-on of the clock ? —No, the effect. Your Associated Chambers of Commerce are unanimously of the opinion that it could be brought into operation here without causing any inconvenience I —Those remits I have quoted were passed at the Conference!. 1 was not present myself at the Conference, but the remits were passed on two occasions. Of course, the Associated Chambers of Commerce have a Council, have they not ? —Yes. And they arc not country people ?—Some of them represent country towns though. But they represent the interests of the towns '( —They represent commercial interests. Therefore they would not express the opinions of the farmers ?—No. So that it is the right of the Farmers' Union to express the opinion of the country people ? —That is so. You do not know how it would affect the dairy-farmers ?—No. The impression on my mind is that they work by the sun, and not by the clock. A dairy-farmer does not get up in the morning because the clock says 5 o'clock; he gets up because it is daylight. He is not hampered by any union hours or anything like that ?—He does not work by the clock. Mr. Hackly. .] Can we take it that the people in the. towns fully understand the effect of this measure ? —I think so. It has been discussed in the newspapers so often. Is there any reason why the matter should not be just as clear in the country ?— The reason is that they have not got the same facilities in the way of newspapers and organization. I cannot subscribe to that. The people in the country are very keen on reading their newspapers. You would not put it down to Jack of intelligence ? - -No. You think that they are just as capable of forming a conclusion as to what the effect would be to them as the people in the, towns are so far as they are concerned? Oh, yes. You have mentioned in your evidence that " The point may be raised that the same result could be obtained by alteration of the hours of work- viz., from 7 o'clock to 4 o'clock in the trades, and from 8 o'clock to 4- o'clock in the professions. This, however, would present much more difficulty as involving endless adjustment throughout the country. It would necessitate alterations in train and steamer times, meal-times, &c." So far as the employees in the dairy factories are concerned, they would have to comply with the general meal-hours —that is to say, they would have to have their breakfast at a certain hour, and their lunch at a particular hour, and, therefore, that would mean they would have to arrange their work in accordance with the interests of the industry. If the dairy factories were to commence an hour earlier, would it not follow that the men who milk the cows have to start an hour earlier ? —Yes, those who are directly affected. Those who take their milk to the station to catch an early train would probably have to start milking at an earlier hour. But they all do ? —What may be a hardship to one township may be an advantage to another, because, as we know, the train arrives later at each station as it goes along. So far as the factories are concerned, if daylight-saving were brought into operation there are a very large number that would have to start work an hour earlier. You have told us that the farmers do not work by the clock. Ido not know whether you have had any experience, but the fact remains that as long as there is any daylight the farmer will work. You will agree that if a farmer starts to work an hour earlier it means that an hour a day is added on to his daily toil ? —lf he continues to work to dark it would.