South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-10-11
To PROBE MORE
DAYLIGHT PLAN
Harper SibIey Named Chair
man of Committee to Find
Sentiment Here.

Harper Sibley has been appointed
president OF a committee to investi-
gate the matter Of setting the clocks
OF the county ahead Tor an hour
in order 10 gain the advantage OF
an hour more Of daylight, and re-
port TO the central organization of
the commerce Of chambers Of the
United States
The report viii be used in con-
nection with the campaign that is
being carried on by that organiza-
ton % secure "A law requiring an
hours advance in time throughout
the country A law 20 that effect has
been presented 20 congress and the
attorney general has been requested
10 ascertain the probable authority
of the supreme legislative body in
this regard.
Seek Referendum Vote.
The committee is planning to OBJ
tain a referendum vote Of all the
chamber members of the centrai
body on the question which has been
proposed by some of the most in
fluential bodies in the country. The
commerce association of Chicago
first requested that the matter be
taken up and this request was sec
onded by the bodies Of New York,
Rochester, Philadelphia, Buffalo,
Cincinnati, Washington. Columbus.
Worchester. Dayton. Toledo,
Youngstown. Cleveland Detroit and
Providence Some cities, notably
Cleveland and Detroit have already
adopted the plan and their success
has been noteworthy.
Adopted i'm England i'm 1908.
AS early as 1908 England adopt
ed a law setting the clocks an hour
ahead OF the meridian Greenwich
time and ever since on the Nsrnal
equinox, March %, the clocks of
that nation have been set ahead to
obtain advantage of the extra hour.
Soon after, the other nations OF i'm,
portance Of Europe. France. Ger
many. Italy, Denmark, Norway, and
Sweden followed suit until practical
~ the whole Of Europe is enjoying
a daylight hour after work.
It is Of interest 10 note that per
daylight plan, was Benjamin Frank
lin. Upon one OF his visits TO Eng
land he noted that the people there
elected to live most OF their lives by
the light of the candle. He COM
mented on the foolishness Of the
plan and suggested that the clocks
Of the land should be set ahead in
order to take advantage Of the day
light and TO reduce the expenses
consequent to the maintaining Of
artificial light.
Saving i'm Bills.
Between the spring and the fall
equinOXes there are Isl days. and
an extra hour of daylight for this
length Of time, would mean prac-
tically % full working days. A
shrewd MATHEMATICIAN has calculated
that the plan of setting the clocks
ahead for an hour during the sum-
mer would save the city of moderate
size in the country more than a half
of a million dollars in light bills
alone. An approximation OF the saw
ing to the country at large follow
ing the adoption Of a national mea-
sure. could scarcely be calculated
The South Bend Chamber of Com
merce. as soon as il finds a sufficient
number Of its members are inter
ested in the matter will start q local
campaign for the adoption OF local
measure TO be I'm effect until the
question is settled for the nation.
The chamber viii be more than
plpaspd 10 receive couopoun{Cotfops
from any resident OF the city or