The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-06
THE TIME QUESTION AGAIN.
Alderman Wells Reply to Alderme 4
Haines.

marx III COuncll, JndJ tne report Oh Inc
minority of the committee on the time
question was untrue in fact, which reply
either he or the NEWS heads, 1.-THE Cor
rectness Of the Minority Report Substan-
tiated, permit me to answer this very disin-
genuous "reply," and | will endeavor to
cover the whole ground, and to cover it
fairly and squarely
The minority report represents:
/. That the minority believe that it is not
the general wish of the citizens that there
should be a return to sun time without q
further trial of standard time for several
months and think it is the general wish Of
majority Of the people that standard time
| should be retained
2. That ample notice Of the proposed
| change to standard time was officially given
and the attention of the citizens particularly
directed to the contemplated change.
3. That the invitation to citizens to ap-
pear before the committee should not have
been limited to those who signed the petit
ton for sun time, but should have been ex-
| tended generally, so as to have allowed a
more general expression of the wishes of
the people.
4. That if council rescinds its action it may
be justly criticised as pursuing a weak and
vacillating policy.
think this is a fair summary, and that
nothing added.
First and second-Considering these two
| points together, as they are too intimately
connected to be treated sep ,rately, the re-
port is erroneous in this. One of the two
gentlemen who signed it has repeatedly
| stated before, and up to the time of, signing
the report, the statement having been made
not alone to me Qn which case it might
have been regarded as confidentiaD, but to
many others who told me of it, that he was
satisfied that the public wanted sun time,
| but that for purely personal reasons (Which
| it is unnecessary to here explain) he was in
| tiuenced to vote to retain standard time. 1t
is difficult, therefore, to understand how
| the minority, of which he was one-half,
| could be truly stated to believe that it was
the wish of a majority of the people that
standard time should be retained, aud that
| there was not a general wish to return to
| sun time If his belief had changed, it had
changed very radically-and suddenly.
Nor can l understand how the other half
| Of the minority could SO believe. Under
stand me, do not mean to say he did not
so believe, but only that do not under
stand how he could have arrived at such
a belief. He has stated, and repeat
edly that inasmuch as public notice of the
proposed change had been given, and no
objection made, that was evidence of the
public's wish, or, at least, Of the public's
acquiescence. As matter of fact the only
official notice given was by one alderman
to his fellow alderman that at the next
meeting of council he would introduce
such a resolution. The fact was COM
municated to the public, but not as
an official notice to them, nor was
the public's opinion asked. even il it was
land have now no doubt it wasl desired,
and unsolicited advice from the public would
have been something unusual, The public
feels. or ought to feel, confidence in their
| rulers, and cannot be expected to anticipate
mistakes in legislation; but when a mistake
is made, it is then their right, and then the
proper time, for them TO ask, by petition,
to have the mistake recti6ed, and this is
what the public, or very large proportion
of them, have done. But had it been other
wise, and had this been considered by the
public, as it evidently was by the ''chair-
man of the minority whatever that may
mean, as an invitation to give their
views, if their silence was euidence of ac-
quiescence, then, certainly, when a
numerously signed petition was pre-
| sented to council for rescision of
it action, and the fact published
when council referred it to special
committee, to report to an adjourned meet
ing, and the fact, with the names of the
committeeman, was published; when time
was accorded to the chairman of the
minority at his request, for further con-
sideratiOn and investigation; when the
| chairman of the minority mot then
known as SUCH, was asked by the chairman
of the committee myself, if he wished any
other person, or persons, to be heard, and
| said no; when it IS notorious that petition
to adopt Eastern time was circulated for
| signatures, the chairman of the minority
being understood to favor it, provided the
railways would also adopt it, but seems TO
have come to naught; when the fact that
the gentlemen of the committee were APP
pointed to ascertain the wish of the public
was constantly before the public; when the
MORNING NEWS published fire.
quent articles on the subject;
| when the committee waited until
the next regular meeting of council, in
stead of reporting to an adjourned meeting
as they were authorized to do; and when,
after four weeks from the time when the
public knew of the petition, and two weeks
after it had been presented and referred,
council met, no other petition, nor protest
of any sort from the public was presented
surely all this, if there be any force in the
position of the chairman of the minority
with reference to the two weeks notice of
the original resolution, and the silence of
the public, is not only evidence, but proof,
that the public desired to return to sun
time. Hence, my difficulty in understand
ing how the chairman of the minority
| could sui have retained ms belief That a
majority of the public still shared his
views. Such belief was, of course, sincere,
but emiuently illogical.
3. The committee was composed of three
standard time men and two sun time men.
The object of the first meeting land that
there was no second meeting was the fault
of the chairman of the minority" as we
shall directly see) was naturally to hear
why the people objected to standard time.
1t was taken for granted that the three
standard time men knew why they thought
it best, and needed no further evidence.
At the meeting, when the sun time men had
expressed their reasons for thoir choice, one
gentleman present IA sun time man said
he was tired of hearing but one side,
and expressed his desire to hear from
the three standard-time aldermen some of
their reasons for their preference Two of
the three said they had voted for il because
they thought it was the wish of the people
one of them adding that he had now found
out that it was not, and would change his
vote. The chairman of the minority said
nothing. After the invited gentlemen had
withdrawn, the chairman of the minority
said he would like to hear "the other side .
and | suggested that didn't know who
composed the ''other side, " but if he would
name any person or persons, whom he would
like to have before the committee, | would
have them. He named no ono, but wanted
| further time before the committed shOuld act