The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-10-29
GAME NEAR BLUNDER
ON DAYLIGHT SAVING
CONGRESS ABANDONS BILL TO
xFFP CLOCKS AHEAD. SOUND
Ed PLAUSIBLE, BUT

WASHINGTON.-Much more was
bahind the congressional collapse
Of the bill to extend the daylight
swing" act beyond last Saturday,
October 26, than would appear from
tbo Derfunctory explanations which
have been officially given to the pub
The bill passed the senate a short
time ago without opposition. 1t had
at the time the Endorsement of Chair
man Baruch, of the war industries
hoard, on the ground that it would
save a certain amount of fuel; and
those who had been original advo-
Gates or later converts to the oper-
alton of the law were naturally in
clined to accede to it's apparent ex-
tension without demur.
But Chairman Baruch and the war
Industries board probably made a
mistake in recommending the repeal
of that part of the law which provid-
cd for putting the clock back in Oc-
tober to the extent of the hour of
It's advance in the spring. 1t is by
no means necessarily true that the
process which saves daylight in the
summer. when the sun rises early,
would save daylight in the winter,
when the sun is late out of bed.
In some geographical locations it
is undoubtedly a fact that more day
ligbt would be lost in the winter by
the process than would be gained in
the summer: and the break would
have to be a good deal more than
even in favor of winter to make the
proposition pay, because it is in win
ter that we use most of our fuel.
Did Not Make Investigation.
Our present notwithstanding law
was adopted in the light of the ex-
perience of other countries which had
tried it and found it good. 1t is
strange, therefore, that the war in
dustries board and the senate COM
mittee, which considered the new
proposition, did not before approx
inc it investigate the experience of
these pioneer nations as to the Oper-
alton Of the measure in winter. If
they had made a little inquiry along
that line they would in all probability
not have recommended any change
in the existing law, and it would not
have been necessary for the house to
stop what the senate had begun.
England and the continental coun-
tries of Europe which have adopted
the notwithstanding scheme have adj
hered to the plan of setting the clock
up in the spring and setting it back
in the fall They have heard the
argument about continuing the spring
advance throughout the year, but
they have not accepted it. They have
stuck to the present plan because
they believe that it is the best, in
spite of the fact that it would save
little annoyance on two dates in
each year if the advance once made
were permanently retained.
Expensive to Householders.
The most enthusiastic advocates Of
keeping the clock advanced in the .
winter as we'll as in the summer are
the electric power plants and man
ufactories of various kinds which use
a great deal of power. But what |
would be to the interest of these in !
dustries would not necessarily be to
the interest of the community at .
ldlEt III tlllS IGSpCCG. II Gllt LICIl anu .
women who work in factories have .
to rise an hour earlier in winter than
they have been doing they will burn
lights when they get up, but by the
time they reach the factories it will
be full daylight. The factories might
save some light in the afternoon by
this process, and the electric com
panies would more than make i up
by the increase in their revenues by .
the general lighting of residences in
the morning-the residential rate for
electricity being higher than that for
factories, to say nothing of the num-
berS of users involved.
Other important considerations of .
health and comfort argue against
making the people get up in the dark
on winter mornings in order to effect
a questionable saving of fuel. Prof.
Jacoby, the eminent scientist of I
New York, demonstrated these to the
satisfaction of house members who
i heard him here last week.
So, the clocks were turned back
an hour at o'clock in the morning
OF October 81, last Sunday, accord
ing to the original schedule; and the
next time it is proposed to change
ms schedule it will be harder to get
start than it was this time.