SUMMER TIME

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 54, 12 September 1928, Page 9

SUMMER TIME

FATE OF LOCAL BILL STILL IN DOUBT I Whether anything more will be heard of daylight- saving this session is a matter of some conjecture, for as the result of yesterday's proceedings in the House of Representatives Mr. Sidey's Summer Time (Local Empowering) Bill is "not dead, but sleepeth." The Special Committee which took evidence on the Bill found that tho evidence disclosed that the passing of the Bill would be attended, with numerous difficulties, and woiil'3 bo impracticable except at an expense which would not be justifiable, consequently it was unable to recommend that the Bill be allowed to proceed, but in view of the strong demand for legislation of this character on the part of the cities and towns, the Committco recommended that the Government should be recommended to introduce legislation this session advancing standard time throughout the Dominion for one-half hour from the second Sunday in October to the third Sunday in March. The decision of the House was that tlio report of the Committee should lie upon the table, and the Bill was set down for committal "next sitting day." No other time for committal could bo named, as Government business now takes precedence over private) members' Bills, and will continue to^lo so for.the remainder of the session. The Bill at present stands at the bottom of the Order Paper, but although its chances of revival do not look propitious at the moment, the decision that the report of the Committee do lie upon the table does not mean that the Bill is killed. If Mr. Sidey is desirous, and the Government is willing, an arrangement can yet be made to tako the Bill into Committee of tho whole House, but there does not appear to be any great prospect of this being done. The fact that the Special Committee was unable to recommend that the Bill should be allowed to proceed does not imply anything more than a suggestion to the House, which will have tho matter in its own hands should the Government allow the Bill to be committed. Some city and town members are disappointed at the turn events have taken in connection with the daylight saving proposals, as they are afraid that it may have an adverse political effect at the General Election. This possibility is freely talked of in politics. The House of Representatives .having already this session rejected Mr. Sidey's universal Summer Time Bill, it is stated definitely that there is no likelihood of the Government introducing such a measure this year. To achieve any measure of sue-ess it would appear that any such measure would havo to be substantially different from the first Bill in order to avert the possibility of its being rejected on a point of order being raised. The whole difficulty could perhaps be go •■ over by the Government introducing a Standard Time Bill advancing New Zealand time twelve hours ahead of Greenwich, instead of 11* hours as at present, but it is questionable whether this would be done this session. It is understood, however, that the Prime Minister proposes to give careful consideration to the recommendation of tho Special Committee regarding tho advancement of standard time.