Evening star., 1948-04-07
House 10 Speed
.ActiononDistrict
Daylight Time
McGroth Bill Given
Approval in Senate
By Vote Of 46 to II
By Harold B. Rogers

The Senate-approved daylight
saving bill for Washington has gone
to the House, where a lively fight.
but ultimate passage, is expected.
Passed late yesterday by a Senate
vote Of 46 to II, the measure was
referred to a House subcommittee
headed by Representative O'Hara,
Republican, of Minnesota.
Mr. O'Hara, although he is per-
sonally opposed to daylight time,
said he would call an early hearing
by his committee and expedite the
bill in view of the apparent senti-
ment for it.
Fourteen Senate Democrats joined
with 80 Republicans to pass the
McGrath bill over opposition from a
group of IA Southern Democrats
and 3 Republicans from farm
States.
The measure. sponsored by Sem
ator McGrath, Democrat, of Rhode
Island, authorizes the District Com
missioners to establish daylight
saving time in Washington every
summer.
Similar Bill Pending.
Already pending before the O'Hara
House District Judiciary Subcom-
mittee Is a House daylight saving
bill introduced by Representative
Klein, Democrat, of New York. 1t
is virtually identical with the Nc
Grath measure.
Mr.. OHara fought unsuccessfully
against the time change which last
year became law for one year only.
Meanwhile, Congress soon will be-
gin consideration of opposing bills
on daylight saving time for the en-
tire Nation. A Senate Interstate and
Foreign Commerce subcommittee
will open hearings next Tuesday on
both measures. One by Senator
Reed, Republican, of Kansas would
make daylight saving time uniform
throughout the country. The other
by Senator Overton, Democrat, Of
Louisiana, would make standard
time mandatory each summer for
the entire Nation.
Senator Reed, although not per-
sonally committed to the time
change said he introduced his bill
at the request of the Interstate
Commerce Commission which hopes
some system of uniformity can be
established to alleviate the con-
fusion in transportation because Of
spotty observance of daylight time.
Referendum Bill Beaten.
Senator Overton was the principal
of the McGrath daylight
saving measure on the Senate floor
yesterday. He waged losing battle
as he had during the debate last
year. #.
At the end of a two-hour speech
yesterday, he introduced a substi-
tute for the bill sponsored by Senator
McGrath. The Overton substitute,
rejected by vote of 16 to At, would
have directed the District Commits
sioners to hold an official referen-
dunn on the issue, with an elaborate
system of polling places, officials and
watchers" in charge.
Chairman Buck of the District
Committee championed the Nc
Grath bill. He charged the Overton
substitute would have killed day.
light saving time for Washington
this summer.
Senator Buck said there is ample
evidence that a great majority of
Washington residents want daylight
saving time. The Maryland and
Virginia Legislatures, he pointed out,
have authorized the counties con-
tiguous to Washington to go to
daylight time, if the Capital adopts
it.
"Small Crumb" of Home Rule.
During debate, Senator Buck
urged adoption of McGrath measurs
as a procedure in self-government.
Notwithstanding the objections
of the Senator from louisiana" he
asserted, "the people of this city
want it. It offers small crumb of
home rule to the disfranchised resi-
dents of this city. I don't know
anything less they can ask"
| Senator Overton was joined by
Senator Malone, Republican, Of
Nevada in an attack on the meas
ure. Both charged that the early
closing of Government Offices here
under daylight saving time confused
their constituents who wanted TO
contact officials here.
Daylight saving time, Senator
Overton declared, causes loss Of
sleep, especially to laborers and to
tired mothers and children" be-
cause of the "intolerable Washing
ton heat"
"Children's voices shout out Nc
Grath doth murder Sleep" he
thundered
Following are the Senators who
voted against the bill: Republicans,
Malone, Wherry and Young; Demo-
Gratis, Byrd, Chavez, Ellender, Full
bright, Hoey, Johnston (South Caro-
lina), Mcclellan, Mcfarland, Nc
Kellar, Overton, Robertson (Vir-
ginia), Russell, Stennis and Thomas
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