Evening star., 1918-04-09
SCHOOL HEAD BACKS
| new DAYLIGHT Plan
Supt. Thurston Believes OBJ
iections Of Parents Not
Well Founded.
FARM HANDS UP IN ARMS

Complaints Of parents that the day
light saving plan now in effect causes
young children to lose sleep and that
consequently they are not in proper
condition to attend school are not well
founded, according to Ernest L. Thurs
ton, superintendent Of schools Of the
District Of Columbia.
A Washington mother in q letter to
The Star says that advancing the hands
Of the clock one hour has resulted In
young children obtaining insufficient
sleep and suggests that the hour OF
opening the primary schools be de-
ferred.
supt. Thurston today informed re-
porter for The Star that no complaints
or reports to this effect had come to
him from any teacher in the primary
schools.
Believes Strongly In Plan.
People must remember" he said.
that the daylight-saving plan Is new
and that 1t requires the remaking OF
established habits. We are in a trans
we have passed through 1t feel that
every one will see the benefits OF begin
ming the days work an hour earlier by
sun time, though at the same time by
lu0 CLOCK.
'When the warm weather comes the
advantages Of the extra hour In the
early morning, for schools, and the ad-
vantage Of a longer afternoon. Will be
clearly perceived. I am strongly in Ia
vor Of II, and certainly shall mako no
recommendation for later opening Of
the primary schools, at least until the
now plan has been thoroughly tried
out"
Another correspondent of Tho Star. \
vrat1 hot h0 m
Maryland dairy farms. from which this
city draws much Of its milk supply, re-
fuse to follow the new clock program
and continue to rise at their accus-
results in delaying milking, so that
milk shipments do not reach railroad
or other stations on time and are de-
layed in reaching this city.
Farm Hands Refuse to Comply.
This condition, it was found by in
quiries OF several milk dealers, Is fair
that they cannot get their workers out
Of bed according to the new schedule,
and saying that this condition is not
confined to hands on dairy farms, but
is general among farmers.
Unless hands can be induced to aban-
don their sun-time habits of rising. 1t
was stated. serious losses Of milk in
transit are sure to occur when the
weather becomes warm, while in any
case milk shipments are certain to be
greatly delayed in reaching the dealers
in this city.
"F'arm laborers of all kinds" the
local milk dealer said. seem to be alb
solutely unwilling to abandon former
habits and insist on staying in bed un-
til their usual hour of getting up. ac-
cording to sun time. Such Of them as
give any reason for this say they are
unable to change the habits of a life
time and assert that going to bed by
the clock makes no difference-that it
is the extra hour OF sleep in the morn
ing that counts.
"Unless this condition can be remedied
operations Of dairy farms. as well as
farming in general, will suffer this
summer. With railroads. electric lines
and every mode of conveyance operat-
ing on the daylight-saving plan and
every other activity of life and indus
try following the new program, its dis
regard by farm laborers is the more
serious. and 1t is likely to cause much
needless annoyance and serious money
losses II the workers cannot be induced
to adapt their habits to the new sys-
tenn"