The Washington times., 1917-02-14
Robert Garland Explains Plan
to Put the Clock Ahead in
United States.
TRIED BY OTHER CITIES
Worker Declares Cleveland and
Detroit Have Found the
Advantages.
BY ROBERT GARLAND.

President Of the Chamber of Com.
of the Special Committee on Day
light Saving of the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States
The commercial organizations and
civic bodies OF most OF the large
American cities are supporting the
movement to have the clock turned
one hour forward by national legisla-
tive enactment.
That such organizations. made up
of business men, should lend their
support to the daylight saving plan
Is sufficient proof of it's practicable
ity: IL it. were not practical they
would never be favoring it.
Calls Arguments UnanswerabIe.
i contend that the arguments in
favor of moving forward tho clock
are unanswerable. / am quite sure
that the executive officials of any
of thekBritish chambers of commerce
VIII a hree with me. In the last two
years they have had ample demon
strations; they have learned, from
general observation as well as from
collected industrial statistics. that day
light saving makes for economy, eff
cheney and humanity.
To show that II makes for economy
one must quote figures. In such cities,
for example. as Manchester. Edin-
burgh, Glasgow and Belfast-indus
trial centers-the reduction in the
cost of gas and electric lighting
ranged from to 10 per cent.
BIII. Cut sso OOo
In some cities the electricity bill
in residential districts was 10000
pounds sterling, or $50, 900. less than
for the same period in years previous
to the introduction of the summer
time act.
As to efficiency, it will allow a
greater proportion OF labor in natural
light. There is no questioning tue
fact that working conditions are al
ways more favorable in the broad
tight of day than under the binding
snd enervating glare of artificial
light. Statistics, particularly from
the industrial districts on the CONT
nent and in Great Britain, offer con-
elusive proof of this.
Accidents Reduced.
Its humanitarian aspect is manifest
in the fact that the number OF IN
dustrial accidents are reduced where
men work under conditions of natural
light. The hour ahead" movement
means more daylight for work, less
artificial lighting. II we have q
greater number working in daylight,
we have fewer accidents.
At the same time the hour ahead"
in the summer morning means that
the workers will have the privilege
of an extra hour for recration and
outdoor pursuits in the evening. All
this would promote the general pub
lie welfare and lead the people 20
take a greater interest in civic af-
fairs.
Two Cities Act.
The cities OF Cleveland and Detroit,
after a long period OF agitation. have
moved the clock one hour forward.
They did so on their own account by
shifting from the central time zone
to the eastern time zone.
1 visited these cities not long ago.
Business men with whom l spoke
about the matter declared that under
no consideration would they consent
to go back to the old system of cen
nNN LldI oil NioSsSS
of people were strongly in favor Of
the innovation. And 1t was pointed
out that some OF the most enthusi-
astic supporters in Detroit and CleV"-
land OF the time saving proposition
were persons who. when the plan was
first suggested, were the most OUT
spoken opponents OF II.
What Happened In 81.
Many persons remember what hap
pened when the present system o.
standardizing the time was intro
duced in 1883. Clocks were moved
twenty minutes forward in Pitts
burgh. The next day people forgot
that they had gained one-third OF an
hour additional time, although they
enjoyed the benefits of that small
amount of extra daylight.
We are all slaves to the clock. We
do things now in obedience to the
position of the hands OF the clock
rather than in obedience to the com
mAndments OF time. II we should
move the clock forward we would
still continue our abject obedience to
IL, but We would gain an extra hour
bY the sun. We would not be fooling
ourseIves-snd perhaps we would not
fool the cIock-but we would achieve
the ends we seek.
slaves To Clock.
When a New Yorker goes to Chica-
go and forgets to turn back his watch
an hour, or goes to Denver and for
gets to turn back his watch two
hours, he does not notice any appre-
ciable difference in the time unless
he stops to study his own timepiece.
We are only slaves to the clock when
we take il too seriously.
When the matter OF daylight saw
ing was brought up before the cham
ber OF commerce of Pittsburgh, the
1900 business men comprising It's
membership were unanimously in IA
vor of adoption OF the plan. These
Pittsburghers are hardheRded men
OF business. and you can believe that
they studied The question thoroughly
before voting on it.
Others Followed Suit.
They were so much interested that