SUMMER TIME

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 83, 4 October 1929, Page 10

SUMMER TIME

ALL THE YEAR CHANGE

SUGGESTION COUNTERED

When the Summer Time Bill was under discussion in the House of Kepresentatives on Wednesday night, Mr. H. M. Campbell' (Hawkes Bay) asked the Minister of Justice if he would consider the possibility of making a half hour advance in time apply all tlio year round. This would, he said, place; New Zealand time .on a correct basis. The Hon. T. M. Wilfcrd said ho would bo prepared to discuss the matter in the Committee stages. On behalf of the Summer Time Appreciation Executive, Mr. E. W. Shallcrass has. written to Mr. Campbell, pointing out that, while the suggested change would be extremely satisfactory for Hawkes Bay, it would be most unsatisfactory for the southern districts of the South Island. "When Parliament in 186S, acting upon tho expert advice of the late Sir James Hector, decided that standard time should be calculated from longitude 178 degrees 38 minutes east, making New Zealand time Hi hours ahead of Greenwich, it did so in the interests of the whole of New Zealand, both North and South. If it had only to deal with tho North Island, no doubt it would have calculated our standard time from longitude 180 degrees east, making it exactly 12 hours ahead of Greenwich. This would havo been a most suitable timo for the whole of the North Island, particularly to tlio districts on the East Coast, and would have accomplished what you suggested last night in Parliament, when tho Summer Timo Bill was momentarily under consideration. For Hawkes Bay, the advancement of standard time by half an hour throughout tho year would be particularly advantageous, as you would be closer to the timo meridian than any other part of New Zealand; except Gisborne and tho East Cape.

"The Southern districts would, however, be most inconveniently situated (luring tho winter months. "Those beginning wprk at 8 a.m. mid-winter who live in Invercargill would start at daybreak, in Duncdin 19 minutes before sunrise, aud in Cliristehurch 2 minutes before' sunrise. As the place of work is often somo distances from home, any travelling in the places named would have to be done in tho dark or before sunrise. It is clear, therefore, that your suggestion to advance standard time by half-hour all the- year round would be inflicting hardship in midwinter ou tho southern districts, although it must be admitted that it would be a great advautage to your own electorate during the whole of tho year. •

"As tho question is a national one, I hnvo been directed to ask you not to further your suggestion, but to allow tho measure to proceed in its present form. Tho degree of inconvenience in moving the hands of the clock is very small compared with the great benefits which the mass of the people derive by the adoption of a Summer Time measure."1