SUNSET AT 9 P.M.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 52, 29 August 1913, Page 10

SUNSET AT 9 P.M.

' TO THE EDITOB. ! Sir,— Being a colonial, and one much interested in the daylight saving, may I pass a few remarks through your columns? According to the Evening Post of 25th August, Mr. Massey, in replying to the deputation, said there were many objections to this scheme, namely, the inconvenience caused to the eight or ten thousand people employed in the railways, our relations with other countries, the altering of the clock twice a year, also that the farmer has to wait until the sun is well out before he can commence harvesting. I fail to see how these can be objections if the scheme were carried out as follows :—: — Say, from Ist November to 31st January be the decided period to advance the clock at midnight on the 31st of October.- Advance all clocks throughout New Zealand to 1 a.m. Ist November; thus all persons off duty, most of whom will be asleep, will not miss one hour, and those on duty, night shifts, etc., will have tp make up one hour, either by a little extra work or by starting one hour earlier on thi^' one occasion, which will be reversed at the end of three months. If a man goes to sleep and someone alters his clock he gets up rone the wiser until arriving at his work, where he finds his clock alone has been advanced. If all the clocks were treated alike at the same time nobody would be any the wiser until it came to sunset. In regard to our' relations with other countries, New Zealand's position is very different from that of South Australia Or the States of Canada, the latter places having neighbouring countries close at hand. New Zealand is isolated by a distance Of nearly three thousand miles from any other part of the world. What is one hour in travelling three thousand miles? As for the farmer, what difference does it make to him whether the cities start at 7 or 8 o'clock ? He works according to the sun, not according to the clock. Even in the city of Wellington, where the majority of industries start at 8, no inconvenience is spoken of because the offices in our midst start at 9. Certainly, no other country has yet set a good example in this Bcheme, but why wait for them? They might be waiting for us. Why not let us prove Ourselves "Advance, New Zealand !" as our latitude will give ua an advantage over the world in this scheme. — I am, etc., F.T. 26th August, 1913.