The Washington herald., 1922-05-20
ASKSCONCRESS
TO AUTHORIZE
CLOCK CHANGE
Resolution by Hammer in
House Supported by
Senator Ball.
GIVES COMMISSION
AUTHORITY TO ACT
Members Predict Passage
As Only Solution to
Confused Situation.


by advancing the hands of the
clocks was made possible yester-
day through the introduction of a
Joint resolution by Representative
William c. Hammer. of the House
District Committee.
The resolution has the support of
Senator Ball. chairman Of the Sem
ate District Committee. who ex-
planned that under ordinary circum-
stances he was opposed to daylight
saving in its application to the
farmer. but that its institution here
by law was the only solution of a
complicated situation.
The partial application of the
daylight saving plan to the City of
Washington is infinitely worse
than no system at all and in order
to improve conditions l will vote
for a law advancing the time in
the District" Senator Ball stated
Gives mmIssIoners Authority.
The resolution does not arbitrar-
lily advance the time. but does sup
ply the District Commissioners with
Authority to act on their own ini-
tiative. IT. is understood by men,
bers Of Congress that lack of au-
thority prevented the Commission
ers from carrying out their plans
to make the daylight saving system
citywide
Representative Hammer, author
of the resolution, stated that he
would rather not see the system in
vogue here, but inasmuch as il had
been accepted in part, he believed
il should be standardized.
The haphazard way in which the
plan is being applied to the busi-
ness life of the city can only be
rrmedied by its being made gen
eral and for this purpose alone. the
resolution had been introduced"
Hammer declared.
Oppose Principle.
Several members of the House
District Committee who. with Ham
mer. are opposed to the principle
Of the daylight saving plan. have
stated that they would not oppose
its general application to Washing
ton since some government depart
ments and many business houses
had adopted it.
As the only possible remedy of an
aggravated situation. many mem
bers of the House predicted the pas
SAGE of the resolution yesterday.
The resolution and its purpoSs
will be explained to the absent
members of the House District
Committee upon their return Wed
nesday and little or no opposition
is expected at that time. Represent
ative Hammer said.
I'm able to do a little arithme-
tic, and so l don't mind the daylight
saving device. but l am sorry for
the mothers and children" de-
cIared Miss Alice Robertson, Rep
resentative from Oklahoma, yester-
day.
.Bad for Chlldren."
1T doesn't matter to us adults.
but the children get up earlier and
won't go to bed sooner,or IL they do
the light and the street noises keep
them from sleeping. It's bad for
them. and it's hard for their moth
ers to have the problem of an extra
hour to face"
Give the present daylight-saving
system a fair trial: then later on
let US hold a public hearing, at
which all those affected may air
their views on the merits of the
system was a suggestion made by
Engineer Commissioner Col. Charles
A Keller.
There should come out Of the
hearing. he believes. something ap-
proximating the real feeling of
Washington toward the present sys-
tenn of daylight saving.
Merchants Divided.
Merchants on F street are divided
In their observance of daylight
saving. Most of them deplore any
thing which will force them to
close earlier in the afternoon, as
they claim the bulk of their, days
business is done IN the afternoon.
One F street business man said his
store could remain closed until 10
in the morning and not lose a sale.
S. w. Bryant, manager of the
Regal Boot Shop. said. We will not
observe daylight saving unless the
clocks are changed. Practically all
our business is done in the after
noon, we would lose much of it IL
We COihpAAeu WIN Ahe pIC5cuI Eul-
ing"
The Van wickle Piano Company
has not waited for Congress to pass
a law setting clocks ahead. 1t has
set its own clocks up one hour.
thus obviating any confusion among
its employees
Not Observing Order.
The following are not noY OBJ
serving the daylight-saving order.
but will, their managers say, II
Congress sets the clocks ahead in
the district: 80
Urdong Brothers. Sport ' Mart.
Brentano's, Moses and Company,
shaw. Brown and Company. Charles
F. Stieff.
stores On T street following the
daylisht-saving .sohsdule are Guide
Brothers, International Mercantile
Marine Liebster. Harris and Shat
fer. Garfinkle's, Edmonston's.
The Board of Trade has not on
cially condemned the dxylight-sav-
ing device.although 1t has emphat-
ically announced its preference for
setting clocks ahead.
The headquarters of the Board Of
Trade are open from am. until 6
D. m. instead of the new hours. IL
was announced. Consequently two
hours are added tn the ~orLi,- a.