SUMMER TIME

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 90, 12 October 1929, Page 8

SUMMER TIME

ON GO THE CLOCKS

TO-MORROW'S CHANGE

On the principle that half a loaf is better than no bread, a very general welcome will be extended to the recommencement to-morrow of Summer Time, when an extra half-hour will be added to the daylight at a time of day when it can be made most" use of by the greatest majority. Officially at 2 a.m. to-morrow morning all public clocks will be advanced half an hour; private timepieces will follow suit when it suits the owner. For the nest twenty-two weeks this extra hilf-hour of daylight, and one hopes sunlight, will continue to be enjoyed.

It was'only in the middle of this week that the Bill was put through its final stages in Parliament, and many" of the advocates of the measure outside the House were beginning to get anxious about being deprived of what they had been anxiously looking forward to. However, all's well that ends well, and there is a certain amoune of satisfaction to be got from the fact that th measure is now a permanency. This does riot mean that a more enlightened House, as was pointed out during the Parliamentary debate, may not at some, future date extend the half-hour to the full hour, as many would like to see happen. . It. is inconceivable that any Parliament'would now dare to repeal the Act altogether. All wrangling about Summer .Time is ancient history now, and the measure has not turned out to be the bugbear that its opponents prophesied. Although in Great Britain Day light Saving (a full hour), originally a war measure, has long been taken for granted, it was only three years ago that the Dominion hazarded the experiment, and that in the face of fierce opposition. In 1927 the Dominion had seventeen weeks of a full hour of extra daylight. In 1928 it looked at one time as if the experiment was not to be repeated, but inthe session's dying hours a surprise was sprung and a compromise of half an hour was effected. " This year the Dominion has still to be content with that half an hour. The novelty of altering the clock has by this time worn off considerably, and there should be no confusion as long as it is remembered to put the clock on and not back. Practically everything, once the clocks are advanced, will go on as .before. The same trams, trams, and buses will be running at the same time. If it is necessary to rise at 6 a.m. to do various domestic chores before breakfast, it will still be necessary. Houses of entertainment will be open at the same hours as before; in fact, everything will proceed normally, except that at the end of each day will be half an hour's more daylight than would have been the case had the Summer Time Bill not been passed. Only very early "risers will notice th.at the mornings are a bit darker. Instead of rising at about 5 a.m., as it is now doing, the sun will apparently rise to-morrow at about 5.30 a.m. Whereas at present the sun, on the other hand, sets soon after 6 o'clock, the time of its setting to-mor-row will not be until 6.30 p.m., and daylight should last until at least 7 p.m. In addition to the sun, there are the domestic fowls, and they, too, take no notice of Summer Time and will continue to roost at the same time as they did before.'

Inconveniences are reduced to a minimum ■by beginning Summer Time on a Sunday morning. Travellers then are few, and all it means is that, tor to-morrow morning only, they reach their destinations half an hour later than the usual time, although the actual time of the 'journey is not lengthened Direct gainers will be' thoso working to-night on night shifts in telephone exchanges and such-like places, for the time of their shifts will be curtailed By thirty minutes If however, they are still on night duty when Summer Time ends, the laugh will be on the side of the clock