Evening star., 1941-07-07

it impossible to get anything done
until the sun is high enough to dry
of the fields.
zones soS the chief arguments
against daylight time, in the Dis
trict and elsewhere, when it has
been proposed regionally, is the
confusion resulting from standard
time in some places and daylight in
others. 1t was pointed out, when
a bill was up several years ago to
place the District on summer time
that nearby points in Virginia and
Maryland would have different
time, with utter confusion resulting.
Other Cities Agreeable.
This contention. of course, is
nullified by Nationwide change
in time. Indeed, most community
interests, here and in other cities,
have expressed willingness to have
daylight time throughout the coun-
try if those directing defense pro-
duction feel that it would hasten
the day when America is fully pre-
pared.
Several bills requiring all clocks
to be moved ahead an hour during
the months of greatest daylight are
pending in Congress. Secretary
Ickes thinks it should be accom-
plished by congressional mandate
and doubts that it will be done by
executive order. Most officials at
the Office of Production Manage
ment are believed to favor the
change.
England, which already had day.
light time, went in for it in a big
way this season by advancing its
clocks two hours. The tWo-hour
advance went into effect May and
will remain until August 9, when
timepieces will be turned back one
hour.
Talk of One Hour Here.
Mr.. Ickes said he had heard no
official talk of anything so drastic
in this country. Apparently it is
felt that a one-hour advance will
save most of Americas available
daylight. 1t is pointed out, too,
that England, lying farther north
than most of the United States, has
longer twilights and can make bet
ter use of a second conserved hour.
While Washington, along with
every other city, would save sub
stantial amounts OF current through
the later arrival of darkness. Off
cials of the Potomac Electric Power
Co. pointed to curious change
which air-conditioning has brought
about.
The local peak load of power,
which used to occur around 7 pm, is
recorded today at about 1:45 pm.
due to the ir-conditioning of most
Government buildings.
The r-conditioning demand. it
was explained, increases during the
morning hours of summer as the
temperature outdoors rises. In other
words, the hotter the natural at
mosphere, the more power it requires
to maintain the artificial atmosphere
at constant temperature. However
although the late afternoon NAV
bring the days maximum heat. the
power load begins diminishing then,
because the Federal offices start
quitting work at o'clock, and from
then until 6, as employees leave in
successive waves, the air-condition-
ing is turned off in the emptied
buildings.
Near Peak in Morning Rush.
The old peak came at a time trans
portation, cooking and other power
resources were most in demand. It
probably was past Z in the longest
days of the years and undoubtedly
was earlier in winter, but that hour
was the average. There also was a
near-peak during the morning rush
hour. But air. conditioning, though
not yet the major power demand.
requires considerable part of the
city's resources. enough. along with