Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-12-11
PASSES
CHANGE IN Time
FOR AMERICUS
TO SUCCESSORS

The Americus city council, follow
ing a spirited plea from the floor bv
Mayor L. g. Council that no hasty
action be taken, declined to act last
night on the proposal of the Chamber
of Commerce asking that a resolution
be passed officially endorsing the pro-
posal to have Americus changed by
the Interstate Commerce commission
from Central to Eastern standard
time
The proposal was submitted in the
form of resolution by Alderman
Taylor. Secretary Perkins, of the
Chamber of Commerce, who was pres
ent, upon invitation from Mayor Coun
eli spoke briefly in advocacy of the
change, and appealed to council TO-
lass the resolution. Mr.. Taylor, who
is manager for the Churchwell store,
also spoke in favor of the change,
whereupon Mayor Council, calling AL
dCrman Bell to the chair, took the floor
and, in a brief appeal, asked council
to "go slow" in the matter because
of the many consequences underly-
ing such a change, suggesting that the
matter be left in abeyance until the
new council takes office with the new
year. He made such a motion, which
was put by Chairman Bell. The only
Kaye vote was by Alderman Mize. who
is also local fuel administrator. A
call for noes brought no answer and
the motion to defer was declared
carried.
Mr.. Perkins opened the argument in
favor of the change in time by reading
a letter from the Interstate Com
merce commission to the Chamber of
Commerce, which had gone on record
as favoring the change. The letter
stated that, while it was desired to
serve the commercial interests of the
city of Americus in the matter OF
standard time, a resolution by the city
council was desired before considera-
ton could be given to the proposal to
place Americus in the Eastern time
zone, instead OF Central.
Mr.. Perkins stated that he had con-
Quoted an informal referendum at the
Chamber of Commerce for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the sentiment of
the public in regard to the proposed
change, with result overwhelmingly
in favor of it, 356 voting for the change
to Eastern time and 7 opposing. He
showed that by changing, Americus
would be in the same time zone with
10000 other citizens of Sumter county,
including the towns of Leslie, DeSOto
and Cobb and that by remaining in
Central time the city would be in the
same zone with only 5000 people and
only the town of Plains. He declared
that the industrial interests had ex-
pressed themselves unanimously in
favor of the change, because Of the
better working hours in the early
morning He asserted business gen
orally was for the change because OF
the great saving in light that would
result from closing one hour earlier
than at present.
MIR. Taylor spoke in favor of the
change purely as a measure of saving
electricity. He stated that at present
practically all shopping is done before
o'clock in the afternoon, and that the
last hour of the day now is waste
because custom demands places OF
business be kept open until 6 o'clock.
| He declared sentiment entirely in ia
vor of the change as far as he could
ascertain.
Mr.. Council warned that the change
would not suit the farmer, and that,
for that reason, council should go
slow. He pointed out that this COM
munity is dependent solely upon agri-
| culture, and that nothing shouiI be
done that work a hardship to the
farmer. He declared himself person
ally heartily in favor of the change.
'I would like it; 1t suited me fine last
summer" he declared, but stated that
closing of the business houses Of the
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