DAYLIGHT SAVING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2806, 26 June 1916, Page 6

DAYLIGHT SAVING

AS A. WAR MEASURE. A deputation waited on the Prime Minister on Saturday morning to ,urge the importance of a Daylight Saving 1 - Bill as a war measure. A resolution in support of the proposal, was lately passed by the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce, and tho. deputation, which consisted of members of this Chamber and representatives of the New Zealand Warehousemen's Association and the Sports Protection, League, commended the resolution to the Prime Minister. The deputation was introduced by Mr. T. K. Sidey, M.P., who has introduced many Daylight Saving Bills into' Parliament. Mr. 0. M. Luke, president of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce, said that it would be possible by a daylight saving scheme to increase production, and generally improve national efficiency in industry. It .would also make for a reduction of waste, and this was very necessary, he urged,, in. view of the heavy cost of the war. The other speakers were Mr. W. B. Lees (representing the Warehousemen's Association), Mr. Martin Luckie (representing the Sports Protection League), aid Mr. T. K. Sidey. Mr. Lees spoke of the good that would come to the general community by releasing men and women occupied indoors from their employment at a time of the day when there are still soino hours of daylight left. Mr. Luckie, as representing the Sports Protection League, 6poke of the importance of the proposal, in the interests of outdoor sports, which tad a good effect on the mental and moral wellbeing of the young people of the country. Mr. Sidey urged the importance of daylight saving as n measure of war economy, saying that on the English estimate of a saving of 3| millions a year, it should save New Zealand ait least ,£70,000 a year.

The Prime Minister said he would submit to Cabinet the views of the deputation. The session was one for war legislation primarily, and any other legislation to be submitted to the House this session must be of extreme importance. If everything claimed for the Bill were established, then they would all be. in favour of it. Th£ farmers in New Zealand objectedjo uie Bill, and a parallel had been drawn between the farmers' in New Zealand and the fanners in tho Old Country. It was his opinion, however, that' farmers there especially dairy farmers, had to do twico as-much work in the busy seasons as the farmers at Home had to do. He pointed out also that the morning newspapers were opposed to the Bill, because they_ would not receive their cable news in time^—

A. member of the deputation: We'd get it in the evening papers. Mr. Massey: Perhaps that is why tho evening papers support it. He added that he would lay the representations of the deputation before Cabinet, and probably they would bo considered on Monday.