The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-02-26
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Editor Daily Record.

Editor Daily Record.
In connection with an article con-
tanned in your paper recently in re-
gard TO the so-called daylight saw
ing" and suggesting tne matter on an
ordinance by the city council of this
city, l wish to make the following
suggestions:
Many years ago almost every COM
munity regulated its time as nearly
as practicable by the true time of its
locality. While the railroads of the
country generally regulated their time
by the most prominent city on their
line. The result was great confusion
and great differences between rail
road time and local time. Finally
the railroads divided the country into
standard belts, and based their time
upon meridians which were Is de-
grees apart, so that the standard rail
road time in each time belt varied ex-
actly one hour from that in the ad-
joining zone. And with few excep-
tions the people generally found that
the attempt to keep up to standards
of time was such nuisance that they
all began to keep standard railroad
time All this was done without any
statutes whatsoever, and the most
prominent point is. that 1t was found
impra cticable to keep up standard Of
time different from that which pre-
vailed on the railroad.
On March 10. 1918, the Congress of
the United States adopted statute
which practically adopted the zones
which had already been established
by the railroads, but provided that the
railroads, then under government
management, and all offices and offt-
GERS of the United States should ad-
vance the time one hour between the
last Sunday of March and the last
Sunday in October OF each year.
There was not the slightest attempt
in that Law to control the act or acts
of any person or persons in It, under
the direct Jurisdiction of the. United
States. In Canon City the only places
pulsory were the postonfce and the
railroad station, but as before the
people with practical unanimity
adopted the railroad time for all the
country's acts. at
The statute referred to has been re-
will not advance the time, and il the
time be advanced by anyone else, 1t
will create the discord between rail-
road time and local time which was
avoided 30 or 40 years ago. 1t seems
to me quite certain that the city coun-
ell OF Canon City has no greater con-
troll over the matter of the standard
time than the Congress of the United
States. aud as the Congress has NO
power to enact any Law which should
govern the movements Of any private
citizen, SO an ordinance OF Canon CITY
could have no force Of affect. except
ing the city hall and movements OF
city officers.
II the banks and the business men
of Canon City desire during the sum-
mer months, to open and close their
places OF business one hour earlier
than they have been doing this win
ter. II Is entiely within their power to
do so. And II. for example the gro
cery stores desire to open theIr doors
at s o'clock In the morning and close
pealed, and during the coming sum-
mer the railroad and the posto1iee
At U CLOCK IN Ine dItStuOOur tuoy
can do II just as well as they can set
their clocks ahead. and accom- plish
the same object. And II they desire
to do It, or desire to set their clocks
ahead they could do It Just as well
without an ordinance es with an ordi-
nance that has no force.
Aud it certainty would be foolish to
return or ordinary system OF having
two different standards of time in the
same locality.
II would also introduce great con-
fusion IL the city of Canon City were
to attempt change of time In all par
ticu'ars. while South Canon and East
Canon and lincoln Park were gov
erred bv the railroad time. No such
confusion would arise II the business
men should decide to omen and close
an hour earlier than they have done
during the winter
CHARLES E. WALDO.