DAYLIGHT SAVING.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16406, 28 December 1918, Page 10

DAYLIGHT SAVING.

AMERICA'S FIRST SEASON.

Now that America's first season of daylight saving is about to closo (said the "New York Times" in a recent issue), sponsors of the idea aro taking stock of the results. Senator CalderJ who backed tho Bill the, Senate, makes tho statement that the Washington Gas Light Company has given him a report showing that daylight savins saved the peoplo of the district <3 Columbia £12,000 in their gas bills, which the Senator figures out means a cut of £400,000 in tho gas bills of tho whole counti v.

"Tho Daylight Savings law has more than fulfilled the prophecies of its advocates," savs tho Senator. "It has really turned ono hour of nighl into day. People live by custom. They lint in tho morning by tho clock, they cat their meals by the clocfc, and go to bed by the clock* so that during the timo tiiis law has been in operation * vast majority of the people of this country have been awake one hour more of daylight, and asleep ono hour mora of dark than they -were formerly. "This additional hour of daylight has been most helpful to tho men, women, and children of the nation who have taken advantage to plant war gardens, thereby not only relieving tho strain upon the farm, but to a very considerable degree tending towards economy in family expenditure. It has also saved, too, in gas and electric bills not less than 10 per cent, of the money formerly spent for this purpose. Ia addition, it will, during tho seven months of oporation this year 6avo at least ono million tons of coal. It ha* afforded in tho construction of cantonments for our army, in tho manufacture of munitions and war supplies of every character, and in tho building of ships, ono more hour of daylight for the men engaged in those industries. Without question this bill has been ntore helpful in tho great war work I in which this nation is engaged than any other 0110 thing;. "Ono andJ& quarter millions of tons of coal saved by turning the clock ahead an hour for seven months is tho estimate of tho United States Fuel Administration of tho economy effected by lessoning the load on lighting plants through the daylight-saving scheme. Dciinito reports from St. Louis show a saving of 17.5 tons for each thousand of population on the seven months basis. The saving in France for *a three and a half months' period was 250,000 tons, which would make a taring of 12.5 tons for each thousand of population in a seven months' period, according to tho Fuel Administrator.' Senator Galder is not alone is realising what tho law has dono. for tho • country, which, by tho way, is the last great nation in tho world to adopt the system. Charles Lathrop Pack, dent of the National War Garden Commission, gives great credit for the war garden record of 1918 to the daylight saving law. According to estimates by the commission, tho war garden crop thiß year is worth £105,000,000. This is an increase of 51 per cent, over that of 1917. The commission's survey showß that 5,285,000 home foodproducing plots were planted. With, twenty-six working days in each, of tho sovqn months you have 182 extra hours of time. If only one gardener worked this extra hour of timo in each plot, it will be seen that 961,870,000 hours of extra time were added to the country's wealth. Since there are 8760 hours in a year,, you , find the staggering total of 109,803 years of 24liour days. "In a working day of eight liours the real advantage is found dv multiply--1 ing 109,803 by three, giving 329,409 working or eight eight-hour years. The importance of this extra time cannot be. over-estimated in the opinion of Mr Pack. There is to bo an army of 5,000,000 men, and as it costs 40 cents a day to feed a soldier, it will mean that food valued at 2,000,000 dollars must be found for the every, day. "The good effect of daylight saving was felt by business conccrns. Everywhere reports come-to the Garden Commission showing increased production has resulted and tho worker has more 'pep' for the noxt day's tasks as a xe-i suit of getting out from work into daylight. Thousands went into their gardens after work in the big plants, , and there produced food in Iho plots started . for them by the management, who found a v war gardener to be a very good worker."