DAYLIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 224, 19 September 1894, Page 8

DAYLIGHT.

A STARTLING BUT PRACTICAL

SUGGESTION,

The Blessing of Daylight.

That daylight is an inestimable boon none will deny, bub ib is only afber being deprived of it for an unusual period, that its

precious nature comes home to one as a

vivid reality. The Esquimaux,, who dwell in a region of all bat eternal night, no doubt highly prize whab brief sunshine they enjoy; but not realising their loss, they cannob feel the intense dreariness with which the gloom of a long Arctic winter musb invesb the traveller from a Southern clime. Lighb ia synonymous with liberty, hope, courage, and life; darkness wish captiviby, despair, fear and death. Anyone who haa to work for a lengthened • period in darkness feels as if risen to a new life when once agjain admitted to the bright lighb of day. Even the mosb brilliant, artificial lighb serves but to display the darkness beyond, and ia after all bub a sorry substitute for sunshine. The miner who spends moat of hie time underground, and the prisoner who is shut in a darkened coll, look eagerly forward to tho&llobtod periods of enjoyment in the open air of day. Then, too, the sick man languishing through bhe painful hours of night, and the tired watcher by his side, with whab earnestness do bhey nob long for, and with whab gladness do they not welcomo, the opening tints of early dawn ! All nature seems to rejoice as tho darkness is chased away from day to day by the approaching sunbeams. The flowers begin to open oub their blossoms again and tho birds continue their son*;. The domestic animals are all early astir, and with.their various sounds welcome the glorious light. In facb, a universal thanksgiving seems to ascend to Heaven every morning, for the none less beautiful, if oft-repeated, gift of another day. Its Uses and Advantages. Aparb from tho general blessing of day^ light, if we consider ib from a strictly utilitarian point of viow we find thab its uses and advantages are innumerable. To begin with, ib is the cheapest light obtainable, for it does nob cost anything; Then ib is incomparably the best and most uniform. These are truisms which 'are so evident it seoms absurd to give them expression. Still, ib is only by such comparisons (however one-sided bhey may be) thab we can realise and express the immense superiority which the natural light has over tho artificial.

Is it Sufficiently Prized and Utilised •>

The quesbion now comes, gran bed daylighb is an inestimable blessing, thab its uses are innumerable and its advantages incalculable, do we sufficiently prize and utilise ib after all? A brief consideration will show that we do not. This is specially so in tho summer timo when the day begins aboub 4 o'clock, and yeb.the business part of the daydoes notcom> raeneo until nine. In this way many hours of precious daylight are wasted. The morning hours of spring, summer and autumn are practically loßb to the world. Peoplo who aro in tbo habib of rising early will no doubb combat this viow. They are perhaps astir with the lark, and spend many enjoyable hours in some form of work or pastime before commencing the real duties .of the day. Such early risers are, however, aftor all, -comparatively few in number; the great mass of mankind slumbers on, whether in daylight or dark, until the time which custom has slavishly appointed for bhem bo begin their daily labours. In ninoty-nine oub of a hundred instances this is so.

i Tho are in a year 8,760 hours. In making a rough calculation of the number allotted to daylight and darkness we may reckon tbab during three periods of foar ; months each, there are respectively twelve, ...ten and eighb hours of darkness. Thia leaveß say 5,000' hours of daylighb in the year, and as on an average two hours during ab least eighb months of tho year are allowed by most people to pass by unutilised, there is an annual loss to them of some fire hundred hours, or one-tenth of ' the annual daylight. Every year, then, mankind is losing onetenth of the available quautity of bhat most precious boon and blessing—daylighb. For 1 five hundrod hours (nearly one month) the B un is shining upon a slumbering humanity. "_ - The Remedy. How is this great waste of daylighb to be checked? The remedy usually suggested is i whab is known as • Early Rising,' to which i reference has already been made. Early i rising ac ib is popularly understood is really, however, only a theory, and practically impossible to tbo greab mass of : workers. With bbc exception of a small , number of fortunate, highly-favoured individuals, men have to engage in. some form of labour in order to .obtain sußten- . ance. To live is.our first greab natural duty, and there can, therefore, be no quos- : tion bub tbab our besb powers should ba . given to the toil which produces our daily bread. However much of an . enthusiast a man may be in other pursuits during his hours of leisure, he should give to the duties and work of his lite tho freshosb and clearest conditions of bis. mental and physical being. This, as a rulo, the so-called early riser cannob and does not do. If an hour or so in the early morning are spent in some form of-work, or even in recreation, then a certain portion of the day's energy is used up, and there is a correspondingly reduced quantity left for the business of life. If a man be employed in occupation of a mental character, as a role he finds it suits him best to sleep well into the morning, and his brain is thus in a frosb and vigorous state when,his work begins. If, on tho other band, hehas been out of bed for anylengthof bime before breakfast, engaging in mental or physical exercises, an indefinable feeling ■of languor, of a more or less marked degree, possesses him during his work through the day. In the same way, a man whose labour is of a physical character feels more oasily tired, and is less thorough with his work, if he has risen aba very early hour. As a matter of facb this, is seldom the case, for comparatively few individuals riße early and work to any extent before beginning the duties of the day. Still, the general experience of those who have done so shows thab, were it possible bo make the practice general, the effecb would be altogether disastrous, and would result in a society" of listless, weary dejected boilers. Early rising, as ib ia popularly understood, will nob meet. the case. '.. Ib is in facb an attempt to economise timo ab tho; ' wrong end of the t day.. The only real.; remedy far the great waste of daylight which is ever going on isto begin business earlier. When we quiebly consider the question, does it nob seem strange thab bhis has not been arranged long ago?. If ib is suibable to begin work an hour or so after dawn in winter, why should we, in summer, waib until some three or four hours afber dawn and lose all these precious hours of daylight? We are indeed queer people, and we manage things vory funnily sometimes. And among aur many anomalies, one of bhe mosb marked is this strange, persistenb way iin which we stick to our regular hours for various duties, irrespective of bhe changes which the varying seasons produce. What does the dumb creation do ? It bestirs itself ab tho dawn of day, whatever the hour. Bub man remaius tho slave of habit, and loses many valuable hours of daylighb thereby. ' The Result. Whab would be the result if the remedy suggested were applied ? We shall besb i discover this by sketching a day under bhe new dispensation, <

We shall suppose, then, ib is a bright, summer morning. Ab cock-crowing, say bebween half-pasb three and four! o'clock, ..bhe world of human life begins bo stir. The servant girl 3 aro up and at their work, dusting, sweeping, cooking. The milkman is on his rounds and the newsboy is scattering the morning's literabure far and wide. The indefatigable ' early risers ' are ab work in the garden or taking a morning stroll. Towards five o'clock the streets begin';'to Bhow signs of activity. Already, carts and cabs-are rattling aboub, and the morning dew on bhe pavemenbs is disappearing under the tread of men and women going to employment in stores and factories. By five o'clock "the-business of the day has fairly commenced. Shop - shutters are boing taken down and pathways swept. The mechanics and artisans ■ have begun their duties, Th 9 machinery of the mills and tho waggons of the warehouses are all in motion. Betweon five and six o'clock the streets become more crowded. Dressmakers and milliners, clerks arid shop assistants hurry along to their respective places of business. At six o'clock" mercantile and public offices are opened, and commerce is immediately in full swing. Half-an-hour later bho schools begin instruction. Banks and law offices open ab ee,ven. The wholo place now resounds with busblo and activity. Tho streets are thronged with a busy, eager crowd ; buying: and selling, goes on apace; ladie3 are shopping; visitors are sight-seeing. ; men of business are moving hither and thibher. From nine bo eleven thero is a slight lull; peoplo are now passing to and from luncheon or dinner, cabmen and carriers are ab their midday meal. Business resumes, command ab oioven, and the morning's activity ia reuewed, though perhaps in a somewhat subdued degree. Towards noon bhe fair sex tako command of tlie town, ancT the pavements are brightened by their gay drosses; tjh.ey enliven tho ciby with merry chatter, and men aro cheered and refined by bhoir gracious presence. At twelve o'clock the banks close, ab one bhe schools have discharged bheir juvenile conbents, and by two most business premises aro shub for the day. At throe o'clock shops and factories cease operations, and the streebs are crowded with returning toilers..

Thoro now remains practically a whole afternoon for the enjoyment of_ nature's beauties, for pastime and recreation. The cricket field and the river aro patronised by tbo lovers of healthful sport. Many obhers are enjoying country rambles, or quietly Sauntering through the town. At" five o'clock the amueementß proper begin. Concerb room, theatro and lecture hall are now open, and crowds are being entertained or instructed. Ab six o'clock the human tide begins to turn homeward, and ere long placos of amusement are closing. By seven o'clock the streets are becoming deserted, and the public houses are shut. Soon, jubc as daylight is failing, theatres and concerthalls open their doors. For aboub half-an-hour there is a sboacly' ( tramp, tramp amongst tho darkening thoroughfares. About eight o'clock all is quieb, savo when the silent streets re-echo with the policeman's measured tread, and the city sleeps until the fourth hour of a new day. . Advantages of the System. 7 Wo shall now consider the advantages of bhis new system. Iv the firsb place the leisure hours of the community would be spenb in daylighb during nearly two-thirds lof the year. This is the principal beneiit which would arise, and it is indeed tho main objecb of the proposed innovation. Tha hard-wrought masses—and moßt people now-a-days have to work laboriously for a livelihood—would have pracbically every afternoon in which to recreate themselves, recuporate their exhausted energies and engage in some form of amusamenb.or cultivate bheir minds. A very great deal more outdoor exercise would be possible than at 'present,' aa several houra of daylight would bo available after the eighb hours, .toil, ■during-sprjng, auramov and autumn. _The i younger labourers, mechanics and artizana i would have more opportunity for open air exercises in the cricket field and On the country sido. The crowds of young women who work in shops and factories would bo ablo to enjoy healthful rambles during the Warm sunny afternoons'. Then again the convenience aud facilities for attending places of amusement and instruction would bo greatly inciieased. Young girls and children, who havo now to depend chiefly [upon suitablo escorts, would bo able to patronißo freely the lecture-roam or concerb hall, for all onterfcainuieuts would practically be oyer before darkness had fairly sob in. .Public roading rooms, libraries, museums, art galleries and other such institutions would be much more used than ab present, owing to the convenience Ot daylighb. To the working classes especially this would be an inestimable boon.

Another great advantage would be the diminution of unhealthy recreations and idle habits. In regard to the former, they depend for the most part upon the cloak which darkness affords. Most of the many evils of social lite are perpetrated after the sun has'gone down. In the proposed scheme, practically the whole community, would bo sunk in slumber before the last glimmering rays ot daylight had disap-, peared, during nearly eight months of the year. Billiard room 9, bar parlours ■ and other like resorts would give place to the brighter and moro healthful attractions ot the"open fields, the river and the hillside. There would also be a great diminution of idle habits. It i 3 well known that a very large section of tho community, particularly amongst young lads and girls, have no congenial pursuits to follow at the close of day. They hare no taste for literature or mental exercises, and time hangs heavily on their hands. Having really nothing.to do they roam about the streets, wandering aimlessly, up and, down, wasting precious time and their own equally precious young energies. Listless, idling habitß are thup. contracted which treneratly ruin thoir livea aud produce thriftless, unhappy, careworn men and women. ' It doe? not follow^ and it ia not claimed, I that a few houi'3 of daylight at the end of the working day would prove a panacea for all the evila referred to, but that they would tend to reduce- these ovila very much cannob be doubtod. The Commencement of the Scheme. There would naturally be yreab difficulty in inaugurating such a radical change in the traditional habits of the community. Men become so wedded and moulded to old, antiquated, cumbersome customs that hardly, anything short of a resurrection can separate them. It may be taken for granted that if the matter wore left to inditidual no improvement would ba accomplished, and things would simply continue as in the past. A simple method, however, would bo to begin with Gpyernmonb institutions. There; at anyr&tejsome authority can be exercised, and uniby of action produced without much difficulty. Let the postal and telegraph departments, the railways, the castoms, and other public services conform to the new .* daylight' scheme, and no doubt the community generally would soon fall into the system. Failing this, however, nothing would remain but legislation, compelling shops, warehouses aDd other institutions to close ab certain hours throughout the year. The good sense of the community might nob make such a drastic measure necessary, still if recourse to the iron arms of the law were needful, ib would resulb in one of the wisest and most enlightened and beneficial statutes ever passed.