Chatham Islands Time To Be Officially Recognised

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27670, 28 May 1955, Page 8

Chatham Islands Time To Be Officially Recognised

The Chatham Islands will continue to work on time 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand. Officially the islands are on New Zealand standard time, the Admiralty Abridged Nautical Almanac for the Chatham Islands is 12hr 15min ahead of Greenwich,’ and the actual time being used is 12hr 45min ahead of Greenwich. This caused confusion to shipping and it was considered that action should be taken for uniformity. Chatham Islanders, at a public meeting in Waitangi on May 9, strongly protested,- and the Minister of Marine (Mr J. K. McAlpine) has now advised Mr H. R, Lake, M.P.; x that a recommendation will be made to the Department of Island Territories to make the time now being observed the legal standard time for the Chatham Islands. “There was no question of imposing any change without the approval of residents,” Mr McAlpine said. The Chatham Islanders opposed the change to New Zealand time by 35 votes to two. The change would mean a loss of 45 minutes of daylight during working hours and would affect cargo handling on the Port Waikato, they said. Normally unloading began when the ship berthed dt 8 a.m. but, with the change, starting time would in effect be 8.45 a.m. It was well known that work on the wharf was slowed down considerably after sunset Daylight working hours on the farms would also be lessened. This would be particularly serious from April to September, when work in the woolsheds would be impossible after 4 p.m., the petition said.

One of the most expensive items on the island was fuel for lighting and heating. Petroleum products were subject td heavy freight rates, and coal when landed cost more than £2O a ton. New Zealand time would mean lighting lamps and fires earlier, and it was unlikely that people would retire much earlier in compensation. The cost of living inevitably would increase. Under existing observed time, some children did not arrive home from school till after dark in the winter. If docks were put back 45 minutes they would be even later and have little daylight after school for recreation. Island sport would be similarly affected unless started earlier, which would be inconvenient. “These are some of the main objections to the proposed alteration of time, but it was also pointed out that your department has been unable to put forward any genuine advantages which would accrue to the islanders themselves as a result of the proposed change.” said the letter to the Minister of Marine. By 29 votes to 11 the meeting expressed the view that any change should be in the opposite direction by 15 minutes to place the islands exactly one hour ahead of New Zealand, thus making calculations easier and giving the benefits of daylight saving. “If Admiralty charts and almanacs were altered to show only the observed time for the Chatham Islands anv further confusion to shipping could easily be avoided,” the islanders’ petition said.