LOCAL SUMMERTIME

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10919, 21 August 1928, Page 5

LOCAL SUMMERTIME

PROPOSAL FOR THE TOWN favoured by pahtatua. There was an attendance of 75 persons, comprising business people, •nul other residents, at the Borough rtouneil Chambers last evening, at the meeting called by the Pahm-tua, Chamber of Commerce to discuss tne adoption, or otherwise, of a local Summer-time Bill for Paliiatua. On the motion of Air P. Tullooh, -IBs Worship tile Mayor (Mr J. D C. Crewe) was voted to the chair. The Mayor said the meeting had been called to consider the adoption tit Daylight Saving in the Borough. At the same time it had to be remembered that this borough was dependent upon the farmer, and his interests must he taken into consideration. A Summertime Local Empowering Bill was being brought 'before Parliament with the idea ot making it universal in the towns. This Bill did not bring “Summer Time” into general operation but merely empowered the local author ity by special order to adopt it in the district under its jurisdiction. The matter had already been broughtbefore the Borough Council and turned down on the casting vote of the speaker. The Mayor then read a copy of the proposed “Summertime Local Empowering Act. 1925, by which it evas proposed to advance the time by one hour during the summer months. The Government Departments, however, railway and post and telegraph. Avoid'd not lie affected. Air G. Godfrey Taylor thought that if the proposal was adopted in the Dorougli ancl not in tho county tlio two separate times would lead to confusion. Air P. Tulloch said the Raihvay Department desired to know the attitude of the Borough concerning the Bill. “I have discussed it with the Mavor of Woodvilie,” he said, “and he thinks that unless it is universal there is no liotpe of carrying prohibition.”— (Loud laughter.) . Mr Tullcch rectified the slip. Controlling. he said that in his opinion, (■nf the meeting favoured the Bill the member for the district should he asked to support it when it came before the House. He impressed upon his hearers that this town depended a good deal on the farming community and it- vas not wise to antagonise them. If shops were to be opened at 7 o'clock in the morning it would be an hour wasted, he held, and if they Avere closed again at 4 in the afternoon it was another hour wasted too. The matter was one en--tirelv for the retailers of the toAvn. Mr AY. R Richardson agreed that it was for the business people alone to decide whether they should open their shops earlier or not. It tvas matter Icr the country people at all. They would surely not object to tile people in the town getting an extra ha!.: hour of daylight for recreation. . . , . Air H. D. Grocott said that the Borough Council had, on its own initiative turned the proposal down. If this meeting carried a resolution favouring it what attitude then would the Council take up? Dr. FT. T. Dawson said he had moved the motion at the Council meeting simply to get an expression ot opinion from the councillors os individuals. He Avas of opinion that a. local scheme.would he of great convenience to a lot of people, but the decision wn« for the business neopie. Air Grocott said he was pleased to -find that it was cpiite competent for the Council to, re-open the matter. He maintained t-liat the interest of fihe farmer in the proposal had disap--peared with the defeat of the main Bill, and it tvas for the townspeople now to decide whether they deeded it -or not. Daylight Saving had been brought forward at Home as a war measure and retained till now the farmers there. faA-oured it equally with those in the towns. He believed -the time would com© when it Avould be universal also in New Zealand. Mr D. Aloriarty said he thoughtthe meeting had been called to give the Railway Department an opinion on its adoption locally. It would appear, however, to be a subterfuge to discuss the merits and de-merits of DaA-light Saving. Air H. McSherry said that even so it would he quite impossible to give the Ra-ilwav Department an answw Avitliout further discussing the matter. “Let’s get to the business of -the meeting without Avastino time on technicalities.” he said. “W© should decide whether or no Ave are going to support this Bill. What is the good of discussing the farmer? No one will su west that we are going to do anything to hurt the farmer. \Vo are not such bids as to quarrel with our bread and butter. From the experience of la.it year’s Bill the dairy former o verv ficmiirie grievr.nc^ hut from this Focal Empowering Bill it ran )>e shown that there is no m- < livonience to him. Last venr Dav light Saving pro A-ed a veritable Godsend to those who. hv their occupation are k( >t indoors, and 1 persona'll'- am verv stronglv in favour of it- adoption." Mr McSherry agreed that an inconvenience to fanners was the closing of the hanks a-t 11.30 on "Saturday’s which under Summertime would be 10.30 a.m.. and he

considered that the banks might extend their closing hour till 12 noon. Saturday, in fact, might have to be omitted from the operation of the Bill, otherwise, the shops Avould be closing at 7.30 on Saturday, the late night, which AA-as a bit inconvenient to the farmer. The speaker said he was sure ©A r ery employer and shop employee would ibe in .favour of the, scheme. He moA-ed that the meeting strongly favour t.he adoption of local summertime. Or. Dawson seconded, the motion. He could not s<*> .that aiiy harm would bo done to the farmers and he certainly thought that it would be a very good thing for th e health of the people, . Mr G. H. Hood said that it would be alright providing Saturdays and Tuesdays were excluded for the convenience of farmers. One great objection the farmer had always made to daylight saving was that conditions for employees in the towns were being made so much better that it was hard to procure labour for the country. Mr Richardson: “I have been a business man in this town for 15 vears ” A voice: “Too long.” (Laughter). Mr Richardson, continuing: “And there is never a country man in the town doing much business after 3.30 in the summer.” (“Hear! Hear!”) Mr G. O. C. Oxley: “I didn’t mean to speak at all ” A voice: “Sit down, then. (Laughter). “But,” continued Air Oxley, “if Air Richardson was in business on his own he Avould not want to restrict the hours of doing business.” A voice from the hack: “He’d want to keep open till midnight.” (Laughter). Mr Oxley said there were many present Avho Avere not dependent on the recail trade, such as employees, bank clerks, etc., who should not be allowed to vote on a question that merely affected the business man. Personally, the speaker did not favour advancing the time. Mr S. T. Tinney: “He’s thinking of all the trouble he Avill be put to when he’s got to alter his clocks.” (Laughter). Air Oxley said he did not think they should alter the hours they did their business in. On the score of improved health, he Avas not aware tha'o during the six months daylight saving Avas in operation there had been less deaths than in the previous silx months. “I would like to see you advocate for the young people to Avork more,” he said, “rather than play more. Too much time is giA-en to football, tennis, and every other d—sport.” (“Hear! Hear!” and laughter) .

Air Tinney moved as an amendment, “that this meeting of citizens of P'ahiatua approves of the local daylight saving hill and suggests that a clause be inserted giving 'the local authority in each case power to exempt any particular day or days in the week from the operation of the act.” In seconding the amendment, Mr G. Godfrey Taylor said that with daylight savitig there had been much exaggeration of the real objection oi farmers to it. He quoted the case of where, on Saturday, a local dairy company, on its own iniative. had adopted local daylight saving in re; gard t 0 the hours of opening the factory to receive milk in the morning. The difficulty would he in having the tivo clock times, one for the country and one for the town. Mr McSherry said he would like to withdraw his motion in favour of Afr Tinney’s amendment, which then became the motion. Air Aloriarty moved as an amendment “chat this meeting ot business men and others interested, while expressing no opinion on the merits or de-merits of the daylight saving scheme itself, would like to point out that as we live in a farming community -and are mainly dependent on the goodwill of the farmers for success and prosperity, and inasmuch as the farmers have, in a very emphatic manner, through their various organisations, expressed their opposition to any form of daylight saving being introduced, we therefore acquiesce in their favour.” Parliament, he said, had decided against the measure and they should take their beatin'g like sports. The local borough council also had voted it out. Personally it did not affect him. He could keep open till all hours, if he wished, but he was not a Chinaman so shut -with the rest of them.” (Laughter). Mr Oxley seconded the motion, and he thought that only the business people should vote on it. Speaking of the additional recreation aimed at, h e said that half the young men did not know how to spend their spare time.

A voice: “Round the hotel.” All Oxley: “Yes, I’ve often seen you there.” In explaining his definition of a business man Air Oxley defined him as one selling his oavii goods, this to the exclusion of lawvers. commission agents and the like.

Air G. G. Taylor: “You mean purely a shop-keeper, one Avho sells something?” Air Oxley: “Yes, I don’t consider you, for instance, a business man.” (Laughter). Mr AY. R. Richardson: “Am I a business man?” Mr Oxley: “No.” Air Richardson: “Well I reckon

I’m a better business man than Air Oxley.” (Laughter). Air Oxley contended that every hour they curtailed business they were not, at the same time, cutting down the oA-erliead expenses. Mr AV. H. Dempseyi “You get an extra hoar in the morning So it cuts both ways.” Air Oxley: “The farmers do not come in an hour early. You knoiv nothing at all about farming.” Mr Dempsey: “No, 1 don’t. Do you?” Mr Oxley: “Yes, I know a lot ; I’ve milked cows, and you haven’t.” (Laughter). Mr Aloriarty said there was no hope of getting Saturday eliminated from the operation s of the Act. The Alayor gave his ruling that as the meeting had been called for business people “and all others interested,” each person in the room over the age of 21 ivould be entitled to vote. Air Aloriarty’s amendment of opposing the local daylight saving was lost easily by 37 votes to 15 and the motion favouring it carried on the A-oieeS by an overwhelming majority. On the motion of Air McSherry, a tote of thanks Avas passed to the chair “for the very happy meeting.”