SUMMER TIME

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 54, 12 September 1928, Page 11

SUMMER TIME

THE LOCAL BILL ADVERSE REPORT HALF HOUR SUGGESTION An unfavourable report regarding the Summer Time (Local Empowering) Bill was furnished to the House of Representatives last night by tho Special Committee which was sot up to take evidence upon tho measure. Whilo recommending that the Bill be not .allowed to proceed, the Committee further recommended that the Government introduce legislation this session advancing standard time throughout the Dominion for onehalf hour from the second Sunday in October to the third Sunday iv March. Tho -report of tho Committee stated that evidence had been taken from the Railway Department, the Post and Telegraph Department, the honorary secretary of a committee representing the Chamber of Commerce, Educational Institute, Bank Officers' Guild, Trades and Labour Council, and the sports bodies, shipping interests, watersido employers and employees, aud the New Zealand Farmers' Union. Tho Railway Department, said tho report, considered, and supported with detailed information, that the introduction of tho dual system could only be carried out with difficulties involving additional train services and additional expense, without any increase in revenue, and further that motor competition would be encouraged; that in any event thero would bo attendant inconveniences unless the aleration of time was uniform throughout the Dominion. The Post and Telegraph Department considered that the adoption of the Bill would be accompanied with serious inconveniences which could be met to a certain extent, but only by an additional expenditure without any compensating additional revenue. The local organisations supporting tho summer time sent a copy of tho Bill to the Mayors of all the boroughs throughout New Zealand, to obtain an expression of opinion from them. Boroughs representing more than half the population of New Zealand notified their support of the Bill. Four branches of tho New Zealand Farmers' Union supported the Bill, six branches did not oppose it, whilo four branches did oppose it. The waterside workers generally approved of the working of last year's legislation, but considered that tho dual time system, proposed by the . Bill was surrounded by so many difficulties as to render it impracticable. These difficulties would, however, be minimised if the Bill were adopted in every port and adjustments in railway time-tables made to meet the circumstances. The Committee found that tho evidence disclosed that tho passing of the Bill would be attended with numerous difficulties and would be impracticable except at an expense which would not be justifiable, and consequently the Committee 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, tho Committee recommended that the Government should bo recommended to introduce legislation this session advancing standard time throughout tho Dominion for one half-hour from the second Sunday in October to tho third Sunday in March. SCHEME UNWORKABLE. The Chairman of the Committee (Mr. E. P. Lee) said that if tho country objections had been tho only ones, they could havo been easily removed. The personnel of, the Committee was such that no adverse report would have been returned if the members had not felt convinced that tho proposal would bo unworkable. It was felt that the alteration of time in the towns would cause inconvenience to the country people. He referred to the difficulty in regard to country children coming in to tho towns to school, to tho difficulty of arranging railway time-tables, etc. Mr. Lee said there was almost a universal desire on the part of the boroughs to adopt some system of daylight saving, but there was a sharp conflict of opinion between tho town and country. Uniformity was an essential and for that reason tho Committee suggested that the country should give in to the towns to the extent of half an hour. Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) said after the sympathetic hearing which had been accorded the Bill on its second reading, he was extremely disappointed at tho report, although he had to frankly admit that after the evidence which had been tendered it would have been difficult for the Committee to have como to any other decision. He had never suggested that partial summer-time would be as satisfactory as a general scheme, and he regretted he had once again given rise to a false hope in the minds of the people of the towns. It was his opinion that there had been a tendency to over-state somo of tho objections from tho point of view of the Railway Department and the P. and T. Department. Ho thought inauy of the difficulties which had been mentioned could have been overcome. Both tho Bailway Department and tho P. and T. Dor partment had admitted that they could not tell what adjustments would be necessary until they knew how many districts were coming in. It was possible that if a large number of districts had come in it would have been necessary for tho whole country to come in. Mr. F. F. Hockly (Rotorua): "That's What you were aiming at." In regard to tho half-hour proposal, Mr. Sidey said half a loaf was better than no bread. If the recommendation was to be given effect to it should be done this year. It seemed to him that the Government was not sufficiently alive to the sentiment which existed in the Dominion in favour of daylight saving, and he was sure tho strength of the opposition in the country districts was over-estimated. He personally had received hundreds of resolutions in favour of the Bill. If tho Government did not take some action he was certain the question of daylight saving was going to be a really live issue at the coming election. Mr. Hockly said ho was not surprised at the report of the Committee, and he trusted the Government would not adopt the course suggested and introduce half an hour of daylight saving. He doubted whether such a proposal could be brought before tho Houso as it involved a principle which had already been turned down by Parliament. Mr. Hockly said ho did not think Mr. Sidey realised how strong the opposition to tho BiU was. BASED ON ASSUMPTION. Mr. J. M* Combs (Lyttelton) said tho evidence given before tho Committee had been based on assumptions which were not reasonable, and for that reason tho finding of tho Committee was not reasonable. As a matter of fact a motion before the Committee that the Bill should bo allowed to proceed was only defeated by a majority of one; it was defeated by Government members. Mr. Glenn had suggested that New Zealand should adopt twenty minutes of daylight saving. Sir John Luke (Wellington North): **What ajbout the fraction 1" SB> BFComba said if such a propo-

sal wore adopted New Zealand would bo the laughing stock ol! the world. Ho believed that in turning down the Bill Parliament was defying the wishes of a majority of the people of New Zealand. Sir John Luke agreed that the wishes of a majority of the people were being flouted and . expressed the view that that was not in the best interests of the country. Ho believed the action of Parliament would do a lot to make for a breach between town and country interests. In the cities and towns ho had never heard one voico against sum-mer-time, which had proved a boon to thousands of people. The suggestion that there- should bo half an hour of daylight saving was merely a case of "thank you for nothing," and lie was astounded at the action of ihe Committee. Mr. A. AT. Samuel (Qhiucmuri) said he had never heard more remarkable speeches than those of Mr. M'Combs and Sir John Luke. As a result of the recommendation of tho Committee, carried, lie understood, on the casting vote of tho chairman, the whole question of daylight saving had been re-op-ened, and if members wore consistent they would again vote against it. A COUNTRY DICTATORSHIP. Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) said it was remarkable that a Bill which passed its sscond reading unanimously could bo so pulled to pieces by a Select Committeo that the Committee- recommended it should not be allowed to proceed. The people of tho towns were not going to bo dictated to by the people of tlio country, and he foresaw a split between town and country interests. If such a thing happened tho towns would eventually win out, for they held tho majority of the people. . v Mr. J. R. Hamilton (Awarua) refuted the--suggestion that the country members had killed tho Bill. Even without the Bill tho towns could havo all the summer-time they desired. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) referred to tho intense disappointment caused by the rejection of the original Bill. After hearing tho evidence before tho Committee, ho was convinced that a system of local summer-time was not workable and would, iv fact, lead to hopeless confusion. He believed that universal daylight saving would eventually come, and ho thought the country people should agree to compromise on half an hour of extra daylight. Tho greatest danger in front of New Zealand was a possible cleavage between town and country. Mr. W. S. Glenn (Kangitikei) said tho proceedings of tho Committee were most frank, and ho personally had been willing to help in every possible way. Tho evidence before tho Committee definitely proved that summer-timo iv New Zealand would bo impossible unless it was universal. , ""We would get into a most awful mess if wo adopted this Bill," said Mr. 11. M. Campbell (Hawkes Buy). He suggested, however, that :i scheme- which would advance tho clocks half iin hour all tho year round might bo considered. A REASONABLE COMPROMISE. The proposals of the Committee were described b/ Mr. J. A. Lee (Auckland East) as a reasonable compromise, and he suggested the Prime Minister should give Mr. Sidey a chance to place the proposals on the Statute Book. "I wouldn't mind betting £50 to a gooseberry that all the ports of New Zealand would adopt summer-timo and that would do away with the objection of tho waterside workers," declared Mr. 11. L. Taploy •(Dunedin North) amidst laughter. There would be great disappointment all over New Zealand as a result of tho Committee's action. The Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare) said ho was in favour of giving tho towns what they wanted, all things being equal. Every member, of the Committee had been sympathetic towards Mr. Sidey, but after tho Bill had been carefully weighed tho members were forced to tho conclusion that it was impracticable. Mr. M'Combs had thrown the onus of the Committee's action on to tho Reform Party, but as a matter of fact tho motion had been moved by Mr. Veitch. There had been no question of towns as against country, and tho country members had been most conciliatory all through. The Coinmitteo had compromised over tho question of tho extra half-hour, and in that respect he considered it had done its duty. Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said tho only way to get ovc the existing difficulties was a voluntary system of daylight saving in the towns and cities. Ho was in favour of the Bill, provided tho counties were excluded. Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) protested against tho House being engineered out of a thing which the majority of members wanted. Mr. T. Forsyth • (AVellington East) thought the objection in regard to country school children coming into town was absura. He would like to see tho half-hour compromise in the report given a trial. Ho declared that the country members had gone back on their promise last session to agree to a measure of daylight saving for the towns. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) said he would welcome the half-hour proposal if tho Government would take up the recommendation, but he thought the Committee's report prejudiced such a course. Tho report was laid ou tho table.