The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-22
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TON
BURE AU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Director.
Washington. D. c.
SAVING DAYLIGHT.
Washington. D. c


came a fact, there were many loud
voiced objections by late rising Ameri-
cans to the scheme of some crank
who gets up early anyway one
senator, who gave America no credit
for the power of adaptation to cir
cumstances, stated solemnly to his fell
low senators, you cannot change the
habits of a nation. The majority OF
men who advocate this legislation
have not seen the sun rise in twenty
years, and they will not see it rise II
you pass this BILL Some earnest OBJ
jectors declared their intention of
when trains, stores, offices, restaurants
and amuSementS conformed to the new
plan. the strikers found that old time
could be considered only in going to
bed.
Saving the extra hour of daylight
has become an intregal part of our
war experience, like standing up
briskly when the ''Star Spangled Ban
ner" is attacked, or drinking our cof-
fee in a Semi-sweetened state. The
fact that he is one hour ahead of time
strikes the average citizen only on
rising, and if daylight saving becomes
a permanent institution, he may in
time forget to remember that he is
getting up early.
| Just what has been accomplished SO
| far by daylight saving cannot be tab
ulated, because no national report has
been made. nor is there any provision
for such report. The primary OBJ
| ject in enacting the law was to con-
serve coal, and there is no doubt that
| satisfactory results have been obtained
| in this direction. Our mines are now
operating at a maximum production
with present facilities; yet 100, 900, 900
| more tons than were mined last year
Will be needed to keep the furnaces
and power plants engaged in war in
dustry going at the necessary full
| blast. The main bar to the required
increase in production is the fact that
more than sixty thousand Of our min
| ing force have been called by draft,
and many others have entered more
| remunerative industries
One half of the extra hundred mill
| lion tons which must be obtained will
| be gained somehow by increased pro-
| duction, but the other half must be
made up by minimizing waste thruout
| the country. 1t is estimated that day.
| light saving this summer has put l.
5000 tons of coal into war industry
furnaces without inconvenience or spe-
c1al economy on the part of the ma
ton. This amount seems small when
compared with the fifty million tons
which must be saved by the country,
but II it were only a fraction of that
amount. the daylight saving plan
would still be a successful project.
| The Importance of every shove1ful
| of coal cannot be too strongly empha-
| Sized" declares the fuel administra-
ton. Coal saving this summer has
been chiefly due to the reduction of
! lighting required. The hour Of dark
mess eliminated from the waking hours
| of the nation has cut down lighting
| bills by about s50,0O0,O0O.
! Besides the saving in money to the
householder there is a more important
| r. Of 1tnn !, 70 h.
| ira hour of sunlight. This hour added
| to the working mans time for recrea-
| ton has stimulated athletics and out
| door arnusements to a marked degree.
| A rising standard of working eff
| ficiency is attributed largely to the
better physical condition of workers
| which again can be traced to a greater
amount of outdoor exercise.
Another factor which has been noted
| in factories and offices is the effect of
| the earlier hours of the morning be-
ing utilized. All thru the summer,
| business has started in the cooler.
fresher hours. and the hot, late after
| noon, when human energy is at low
| ebb, has been eliminated from the
| working day. Statistics show that the
majority of industrial accidents occur
in the late afternoon hours, and too.
compare lively little work is accom-
| p1ished because of fatigue. Pra ctical
| working hour shifted from the end of
| the day to the beginning saves money
| for the employer and safeguards the
health of the employee.
An international phase of the day
light saving plan was connected with
! the stock exchange. England has ha d
a daylight saving system since 1916,
and when this was in force one hour
of business between the London and
| New York stock markets was cut off.
n r
plan in this country, similar to those
| in effect in Europe, was therefore
looked upon with special interest by
the British business world.
One purpose in esta blishing daylight
saving was to increase the food sup
ply. Farmers have always worked by
the sun rather than by the clock and
do not need the stimulus of day
light saving law to urge them to in
| creased production. But if business
men of the cities are to till the soil of
the nations back lots. daylight I'M
claimed by business must be provided
Solid proof of the existence of s.
900 home war gardens cultivated
this summer has been secured by the
national war garden commission. Sub
stantia1 results of these gardens in
the form of thousands of homegrown
cabbages, beans and potatoes were
consumed by the amateur gardeners
who, thereby 1essened the grocer'S bill
and the strain on the national food
supply. Much Of the credit for the
millions of dollars worth of crops
raised in these gardens is attributed by
the war garden commissioner to the
daylight saving plan.
The value of utilizing the best hours
of daylight had been tested and proved
J in Europe several years before the
matter was brought up in the United
States Twelve European countries
every European nation of Importance
except Russia-have instituted day
light saving systems as war measures
and have found them satisfactory
Altho Germany was the first country
to put such a system into effect, G
daylight saving bill was introduced
, into the British parliament as earl,
hnf I,nA anralnI Lat