"DAYLIGHT-SAVING."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVIII, Issue 10984, 2 August 1927, Page 4

"DAYLIGHT-SAVING."

OBJECTION BY FARMERS. POSITION OF THE DAIRYMEN. The question is sometimes asked, Why do farmers object to the daylightsaving proposals? writes a correspondent. It is often thought that it should suit farmers, as they can make their own time. As a matter of fact, this is only partially true, and "daylight saving" would cause a good deal or inconvenience, if put into operation. Take, for instance, a dairy farmer supplying milk to <a cheese factory which takes in milk from 7 to 9 a.m., or one who has to catch a train leaving at 7.30 a.m. with his cream. To get his milk

or cream delivered at those hours, somt farmers are up in mid-summer at aboui 3 a.m., or as soon as it is daylight. Tc get up an hour sooner is s not practical. Besides, even the summer morning is chilly, and cows do not give their milk so readily. Those who get up at about 3 a.m. begin preparing for their afternoon milking at about 3 p.m. To have to start an houi' sooner would mean beginning at the hottest time of the day, and under those conditions cows would not give the milk easily. For a dairy factory or any other business to take no notice of the changed time would presumably mean that it would lie up against the question of wages and overtime. Under present conditions, harvesting begins as soon as the dew has dried sufficiently, and daylight-saving will not affect the drying of dew. So that rather than assist the farmer, it seems that if put into operation, the proposal will result in the muddlement of altering the hour at which things are done but keeping the present time.