Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-15

DAYLIGHT SAVING AND ELECTION.

DAYLIGHT SAVING AM
Defeat of the daylight saving bill in
h senate of the New Jersey legisla-
turo leaves conditions about as they
have been since the clocks in the
metropolitan district were advanced an
hour the first of tho month. There is
no legal authority for changing the
time as far as New Jersey IS concern
ed. 1t is done merely by mutual agree
ment because it seemed to be the least
confusing of a most chaotic situation.
But changing the clock by mutual
agreement in defiance OF the standard
time may do for all ordinary purposes.
but 1t is bound to cause doubt ms in
convenience in many official ways. For
getting up in the morning and going
to work. once one becomes accustomed
TO the change It makes no difference
whether the clocks have beer advanc-
ed or not. the only time the change is
realized is in the evening when tho
hands Of the clock point to S o'clock
before it begins to get dark.
omcially. however. the time has not
been changed. In opening bids for a
Job to be given out by a municipality,
for instance, tho standard time has
got to be observed. There is nothing
10 Justify the change in the time so.
that should a bidder come in "a half
hour after the new time for closing
his bid would have to be received for
the public officials would be liable If
they refused to receive h bid. As a
result for purposes of this kind the
standard time has got to be followed.
But perhaps the worst feature in
connection with the change of time is
the regulating of the presidential
primary on April 81. New Jersey. not
having legally adopted the daylight
saving time, must conduct the election
according to standard time. The law
says the polls shall be open for any
primary election from 1890 =. NJ. to 0
p. NJ. But as In this part of the state
the clocks have been advanced an
hour by common consent because New
York has seen fit to advance the time
there. the polls, according to local
time will not open until 1880 p.
NJ and will remain open until 10
o'clock at night, new time. The idea
of keeping polls open for any election
until 10 o'clock at night is %preposter- !
Gus. While officially it is only .
o'clock when the polls close, all the
local time. being advanced an hour,
will show 10 o'clock which means just
an hour later getting the votes count
ed. 1t was bad enough to have the
polls open until . o'clock. There is a
strong demand to have the polls In
New Jersey closed earlier not later,
vet now we find the our extended TO
10 o'clock merely through a desire to
sollow the dictates of New York where
,he hours for voting are altogether
sifferent from the hours in Now
Srsey.
1t would be impossible to adopt the
daylight saving time for the election
in one part of the state Il not In
another without action by the legisla-
ture. Suppose the polls should close
according to new time here. any voter
could easily upset the whole election
by going to the polls at $50. new time,
and demand al opportunity to vote.
Upon being refused on the grounds
that the polls closed at Q o'clock he
could appeal to the court and prove
that, according 10 standard time which
IS still the official time in New Jersey,
st was actually only $3.50 o'clock when
he offered his ballot and that he wac
illegally deprived of his right to vote.
Daylight saving has its advantages.
but unless 1t Is officially adopted for
the whole country or at least for all
one section of the country It becomes
an Inconvenience and a nuisance. 1t
only helps to add to the unsettled and
chaotic conditions of the times. a great
nation cannot be run on any system
of time in which each separate COM
munity fixes Its hours 10 suit itself.