The evening world., 1922-05-12
CAPITAL TO SAVE
DAYLIGHT BY PLAN
] MADE BY HARDING
Clocks viii Not Be Moved
but Business Will Start
Hour Earlier.
u. S. CLERKS GET ORDER
81 -
Washington viii Become
M, City of Early RiSerS if
" Experiment Works.
u. S. CLERKS GET ORDER
By David Lawrence.
especial Correspondent Of The Eve
ming WORLDLY

especial Correspondent Of The Eve
ming Worldly
WASHINGTON. May IL Copy
righD. 1.-THE National Capital is about
TO try an unique experiment. Per-
hsps it will show the fsllacy Of NOV
ing the clock forward to save day
light, and perhaps 1t will not. Presi-
dent Harding is the author Of the
scheme and il it succeeds in Wash
ipgton II may solve the confusing
problem of daylight saving elsewhere.
The City Of Washington. being gov.
erned directly by Congress, has no
iheans of getting a daylight saving
ordinance adopted, except by act Of
the Senate and House. To vote in
favor OF daylight saving here is but
TO place ones self on record on the
subject as a whole. Members of
Congress who know the sentiment Of
the rural communities against day
light saving have been unwilling TO
vote for the plan anywhere. Mr..
Harding, who has had the farm bloc
to- deal with on matters much more
important than daylight, saving, has
not wished to antagonize the agricul-
turalists by favoring either a national
statute or law~for the District of Co
lumbia. But the people of Washing
ton who suffered no inconvenience
when daylight saving was adopted
during the war are favorable to the
idea. Government clerks wanted the
advantage of the late afternoon hours
for exercise. Merchants favored it;
40 did the banks and business con-
oerns generally. There seemed no
way Of getting u bill through Con-
gfess, because of the objections inter.
woven with the situation in many
rural districts. from which so many
members of Congress hail.
The President, however, has offered
al novel solution. believing that to
move the hands of the clock forward
is q form of self deception. He has
insisted that the same object can be
attained by asking everybody TO got
I'D an hour earlier and by having
places OF business and schools function
an hour sooner. An order to the Gov
arnment departments makes II nece5-
sary for them to open at s o'clock
next Monday morning instead Of Q.
Banks will open an hour sooner. Some
institutions will compromise by open
iugy a half hour earlier, but, generally
speaking, stores and other places OF
BUSINESS will regard o'clock as .
o'clock In the normal routine Of the
day
This means that the day will end at
5sto'clock instead of 6, and In the
GoYernment departments desks will
be cleared at $50 in the afternoon.
instead of 4.9O as heretofore. Thi
process will be carried throughout
the life OF the city.
Members OF Congress are wonder
ing how to adapt themselves " the
new schedule. The hour of meeting
for the Senate and House Is arbitrary
anyway, and Is fixed from day to day
but IL the Government Department.
are TO be opened at 8 o'clock, Sena'
tors and Representatives who are II
the habit of visiting these depart
ments on matters of interest to thel
constituents will have TO call earlier
clerks in Congress will want TO ge
outdoors as early as those In the ex
ecutive branch OF the Government.
Mr.. Harding's fiat Of daylight saw
ing without moving the hands OF thu
clock forward will therefore becom'
/. cfty-wide. One business compels ac
ton by another with which 1t Is inter
related. One group of employees
wants the advantages which the othe
has, and SO on. Theatre managers ar
deiibefating whether TO open at 10
or 8 o'clock. This is a serious mat
tef for them, because the people VIII
must be at work at O'Clock In TN
morning, and who are accustomed
eight hours OF sleep, will not wish Z
stay UP until IL o'clock and then tr
10 get up at or earlier, so as TO b
in, time for work. II the theatre
close at 10 instead Of IL there Wi
he time enough for sleep.
The effects OF the experiment wi
be closely watched. Here Is city {
nearly half million people. Suddenl
rn6st everybody decides to get up a
hour earlier. Can habit easily !
tRoken next autumn when the day
are shorter? The system In oth'
cfties provides for a simple change
the hands Of the clock, and individual
habit does not change. Either u
National Capital will become famol
for It's early risers all the year rour
or the hands OF the clock win
moved back and the experiment abaI
doned next year. The President
confident thestest will work out al
tffe earnest cooperation of govern
ment offielals is being given the pl'