DAYLIGHT SAVING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 238, 9 October 1933, Page 6

DAYLIGHT SAVING.

"SELFISH AND STUPID" LEGISLATION

(To tlie Editor.)

This Dominion should not allow itself to be saddled permanently with a most selfish stupid piece of legislation—this Daylight Saving Act —when the rest of the world"is shortening hours of work and increasing pay. Now is the time to repeal it, not amend it, a s it appears there is a tendency to do on the part of a section of the members of Parliament. America is spending millions of dollars in bonuses to farmers to plough under cotton, wheat and other commodities—to reduce, production in almost every department of farming; but this country permits this Act to continue, and even suggests increasing the saving of working hours, making one hour the statutory period of daylight saving, thereby still f ur . ther enslaving the farmer and farm workers with a view apparently to increasing production, while the quota is just around the corner However, as Mr. Forbes says, "We must face the future with calm determination." What the Government should do is to come into line with America; follow the- N.R.A., which has put back into jobs four millions and expects to double this figure in a few months—by instituting a six-hour day and doubling pa/ If the cricketers and tennis players wield such an influence in favour of daylight saving, in whose "interests" the measure was passed'let them be reassured —the introduction of the'sixhour day will enable them to quit the office at four o'clock, standard time. The golfers never were exercised over this question—they take the whole day off now, when it suits them—they save nothing at any time. Another aspect, and probably more important from a national viewpoint, is regarding the adverse effect this extra early rising has on the 200,000 children in this country. Question: What extra energy is forced into work throughout Xew Zealand every day, and to what purpose? The doctors are almost unanimous in condemning daylight saving. PIO^BES.