New-York tribune., 1921-02-14
Assembly Firm
I'm Stand for
Daylight Bill
City Members i'm Both Houses,
Irrespective of Party, Line
Up Almost Solidly Against
Repeal Measure of Belts
May Compromise on Time
Booth Proposal to Reduce
Time of Operation to Five
Months Has Chance to Pass
From a star correspondent


ALBANY, Feb. 49, AT out-anj-out
repeal of the Daylight Savings law.
seemingly assured two weeks ago. Ia
now impossible, legislative leaders ad-
mitted tonight. The change In Nont
is due to the members IN both houses
from the various municipalities ir-
respective Of party. lining up almost
solidly against the bill of Assembly
man Charles H. Bcu+s. of Wavne
County.
Assemblyman Belts. who is standing
out squarely for repeal of the law
refuses to compromise or the Booth
bill or any other contemplated legisla-
tion which provides for anything other
than repeat.
The bill Of Assemblyr,an Hartwell
W. Booth, of Utica, which provides for
compromise, in that It reduces the
operation of the Daylight SAVINGS law
from seven to five months (from the
last Sunday in April to the last Sun
day in Septemher). now stands more
Than 1oir chance Of passage. Mr..
Booth claims that there are sufIciont
Votes behind his bill to put it tbryurh
both houses VA = '''S' ]"
An impartial survey of The situation
shows that Booths claim il true, The
law was repealed last yaar wit, the
aid OF Republicans from upstate cities
ano from New York City, rot that thev
wanted the bill repealed, but t. mt
Governor Smith in a bad lirht with H. H.
farmers, for the city men who votnJ
against their convictions, knew that
Go1yernor. Smith would veto the repeal
Dlli. This year there is no nol;ticol
incentive for the city men to vote on
tnls matter save as sheir constituent
cies want them. and civic oreaniza-
oIons, merchants associations. boards
OF trade and chambers # commerce
an over the state have come out M
qualiiledly for the Booth bill,
Belts Bill Had Support
Earlier in the session thcre was con-
siderable support for the Retts biz
especially from Legislators who prided
themselves on their strong par;isan-
ship, They believed. as do some Of the
legislative leaders, thar tn. party plat.
form adopted at Saratoga called for n
repeal of the Daylight Savings law
What confused them we're soma o. tbo
campaign speeches of Governor Miller
IN rura communities. whore thers was
unanimous demand for the repeal
OF the law. In these soeeches the
governor promised to do what he could
to bring about the repeal of the law
The party platform is non-committfl
on the subject of repeal. In fact. it
goes no further than to recognize the
demand in the agrarian sections for a
repea' and to acknowledge the demand
Of the ties for the continuance Of thu
law and to amend the law SO that it
will not affect the agricultural com
rnunites.
This IS what the Republican plat
form, adopted at Saratoga last sum
mer, said on the daylight saw ings ques-
ton
"The daylight savings law, while
popular in the cit es, is practically
unanimously d sapproved by the agri-
cultural population Of the state 1t ur
questionably makes the problem of
farm labor and farm production more
acute. We pledge ourselves to an
amendment of this law so that it shall
not apply to rural districts while pre-
serving the more populous municipal-