New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-11
Daylight Saving

The daylight saving movement, notably
advanced by the labors of the national
convention in this city, has long had Thel
Tribunes support. We were for it when
it had few friends-when the public
turned away with ennui from any consid- !
Grafton of its economic advantages. The
great public never shows its innate con-
servatism more plainly than when some
economic reformer comes along and wants
TO interfere with some fixed and sacred
habit of daily life.
We strongly commended Cleveland for
rationalizing its summer living schedule.
We had a good word to say for Mr..
Willett, the English pioneer, when he
was having his scheme laughed out OF
Parliament every time he presented
it. He met the fate of all men ahead OF
the times in their ideas. The British
scoffed at his plan, because 1T rubbed the
wrong way their respect for things as they
are. He died a prophet without honor in
his own country. But he was scarcely IN
his grave when Parliament, under the
stress of war, yielding to pressure strong
enough to overcome all the back pull OF
inertia and habit, adopted his daylight
saving ideas, which it had formerly fiouted
and rejected The German Kaiser had al
ready adopted them. That gave them an
hypnotic force at Westminster which they
did not have when they were urged by an
ordinary British citizen.
Nothing can be said to justify the pres
ent waste of daylight hours in the summer
months which does not represent mere
toryism of opinion. By the simple expe-
dent Of legislative turning back of the
hands of a clock the country would be
enabled to utilize precious hours of sun
light now made little economic use of by
anybody. Those who appreciate the saving
achieved-the reduction in the use Of arti-
fetal light, the longer hours Of daylight
recreation after the days work, the benefit
70 public health of more time spent in the
sunlight-might argue for ten OF twenty
years without securing general individ-
uaI acceptance of a summer revision IN
changes were universal it would be robbed
of most of it's value.
Will Congress be moved by an agitation
which so strikingly represents reason,
economy, efficiency and convenience to pass
a daylight saving law? Congress is
venerable machine, consecrated TO obstruc-
ton. The average Congressman is even
more scary of new ideas than the average
citizen is. he is by nature as reluctant
to tamper with the clocks as if the clocks
we're all voters, organized into an associa-
ton for the intimidation of politicians, like
the union Of the railroad brotherhoods.
The leaders Of the National Daylight
Saving Association viii probably have a
chance to realize how Mr.. WiIlett felt when
he saw Parliament backing and filing,
baking and side-stspping, in nervous APP
prehension of the effects of his supposedly
revolutionary proposition. Yet the chances
are that the vindication they get from Con
gress will be somewhat less posthumous
than the one the British Parliament laid
on the grave Of the departed Mr.. Willett.
There is hope for the association and its
movement. The hard experience of war
educated the governments of Europe. They
adopted the daylight saving scheme be-
cause they found out that they couldn't
any longer afford TO waste the daylight.
Waste is one of the most pampered Of
American vices. Yet we may have learned
little in the last three years from observ-
ing the mental operations Of the peoples
of Europe.
And then there 10 Turkey, The Turkish
government has just decided TO drop the
Mahometan calendar for the Gregorian.
The Gregorian calendar IL great deal
more accurate, and therefore more con
venient. After this extraordinary triumph
in Constantinoplc Of practically over the
power Of misguided habit il may not be
TOO much 20 expect somewhat similar
shaking up Of the dry bones Of atayistie
prejudice a. Washington
50 We say with more confidence than