Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-18
SETTING THE CLOCK AHEAD
BY Frederic ]. Haskin

insomnia. There is always the tear
Iul awakening of the six-months old
infant next door, the man who plays
the cornet across the street and the
annoying attentions Of the one fly
that managed to force its way through
the screen to prevent that last hours
sleep in the morning.
II one got up an hour earlier, he
might avoid the chickens and the
awakening infant, but there would al
ways be the milk bottles the cornet
and the fly that were still earlier,
Besides working a hardship on the
electric light and gas light compan-
les, it would probably be distasteful
10 the milkmen who are already
ahead of the daylight to the farmer
who must beat the opening of the
market and to the grocers and res
taurant keepers whose business be-
gins before most people get up in the
morning.
However, it is the psychology, of
the thing which is the most interest
ing issue. BY setting the clock an
hour ahead it is hoped to convince us
that 1t is seven o'clock when II is real
ly only six 1t might seem to some
people that the changing of the clock
were trifle unnecessary, since it is
perfectly possible to get up at six
o'clock whether the clock says it is
six or seven, but the daylight savers
are counting upon the power of sug-
gestion. One man has suggested that
the same idea be carried out with re-
gard to the thermomet namely, that
in the summer it beforced down a few
degrees and in the winter up a few
degrees, thus convincing people that
1t was cooler or warmer than it ac-
tually was. Many American cities
start the day an hour earlier in the
summer, but the practice is not uni
versal which. of course, will be the
case if law is passed providing
changing the time.
The only people seriously inconven-
fenced by thedaylight-savin plan are
the telegraph and railroad companies.
The railroads would have some con-
fusion with trains on the line at the
moment the clock was changed; and
the telegraph companies are apt to
become a trife confused at first in
their time schedules.
Standard time around the world has
always produced many curious phe-
nomena, such as the receipt of the
news of the Empress of China's death
in New York almost a day before it
happened. A telegram sent from
Greenwich at noon will arrive in New
York at seven o'clock in the morning.
five hours before il was sent. provid-
ing, OF course, the transmission be in
stantaneous. San Francisco. which is
much further west, would receive it
four hours earlier. On the other
hand, cablegram sent from Green
wich to India, although instantly COM
municated, would arrive several hours
later. Thus in keeping therecords of
all kilograms sent, the companies
must bear in mind the local changes
in time OF the various countries in
addition to the fluctuations in world
standard time.
IN To tamper with the time standard
has always been considered by the
mass of people an extremely daring
and dangerous thing to do Changes
in the calendar in the past have only
been accomplished after much argu-
ment, persuasion and some bloodshed
and the standard time adjustment is
always regarded with a certain stead
fast attachment and awe. It was
many years before we har standard
time in America.