PUTTING ON THE CLOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17845, 28 July 1921, Page 8

PUTTING ON THE CLOCK.

THE AUCKLAND PROPOSAL.

SUPPORT FROM WELLINGTON.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce received a letter this week from the Auckland Chamber inviting support for the following resolution with regard to the alteration of New Zealand time:— "That New Zealand standard time be changed to 12 hours ahead of Greenwich time."

The letter set out the following as the practical benefits of the proposed alterations : —(a) Reduction in capacity of plant installed in tthe various electric power-housss, with consequent saving in canital expenditure. (b) All ordinary working time would be within the hours of daylight at all times of the year. . (c) Simplification of commercial dealing by cable with England. The Auckland Chamber had resolved to urge the Government to give effect to the proposal. / v The secretary of the Auckland body added that this had already Deen recommended by the Efficiency. Board and that the Auckland city electrical engineer had stabed that the chief reason for supporting the change from th 6 point of view of the City Council would be a saving in capital expenditure in the 'electrio' power-stations. Between 4.30 and & p.m. "on winter afternoons • tbe light load overlapped the power load and plant had to be provided to meet this peak which lasted only a few weeks of the year. . The proposed alteration would do away with the overlapping and so reduce the amount of plant necessary to meet the winter load. From the point of view of the public the change would reduce the lighting bills all the year round. Mr. M. A. Carr, president of the Wellington Chamber, said it seemed to him there were in the proposal some points which were worthy of consideration so far as the cities were concerned. On the othej' hand they would have to think of whether there would or would not be a national effect before they could advise an alteration in the present position. The question was how far it would have an effect on tTIe producers in the country. If it was going to make dairy farmers and such men as those who looked after horses get up earlier it was- more far-reaching than a mere matter of the consumption, of electrict light in the eitigs. " Instead of getting up at four o'clock in the morning you would be- getting up at twenty past three, or something like that." Mr. S. A. Longuet: That would be all right as long as you did, npt kn»w it. . . . My contention is that it would not matter whether I got up at seven or eight so long as I did not know. The President: Yes; but you stari business at nine o'clock.

Several members thought people in the towns would be glad to get things over in daylight.

On the motion of Mr. T. A. Munt, it was resolved to support the Auckland proposal. *