ANOTHER PLAN TO ADVANCE THE CLOCK

Evening Star, Issue 14001, 6 March 1909, Page 11

ANOTHER PLAN TO ADVANCE THE CLOCK

Mr Willett, the advocate of the plan to save daylight by advancing the dock eighty minutes in the suumier months, is preparing for another brisk light with a new Bill, which Mr Pearce. M.P., will again champion in the House of Commons if the ballot gives an opportunity; otherwise it will be introduced in the House of Lords. It- will bo modelled on the lines recommended by last year's Select Committee, which, instead, of advancing the clock twenty minutes at a time on each of four Sundays in April, favored one alteration of one hour, with similar retardation in September. “ Last year,” says Mr Willett, “ the only real evidence against the Bill came from the Cotton Exchange, Liverpool, and the Stock Exchange, Ixmdon. They pointed out that if we made the alteration and tho American exchanges, did not, the markets in the two countries would not bo open simultaneously. But I learn that- in the United States there is a movement for doing the same thing. Someone ought to take tho first step, and I think it ought to be tho English nation. 1 shall suggest to Mr Churchill (with whom a meeting is to be arranged) that the Bill, if the. Governmentbring it in, make one alteration of twenty minutes. Kailways can manipulate their service bettor if the time is only twenty minutes rather than an hour. Then twenty minutes would not so shock those millions of people who seem to think it an offence against nature to put their watches forward. ?he Hon. J. E. Swanstrom is to introduce a Bill of the kind in Lie United States. France is also interested. . The Hon. R. Arthur, of the New South Wales Assembly, has given notice of a Bill: one is being carried over to the next session of the New Zealand Parliament ; and in Victoria- a Bill identical with the English one is Ibeing discussed. Two towns in

Canada, already have a scheme of the- hind in operation, and any prejudice miiciiijexisted experience has removed.”