November 7: How many people feel any the worse this morning for the hour's sleep lost on Saturday night, or was it an hour of Sabbath leisure that was thrown away by the advancing of the clock one hour? It is not to be thought of that all Dunedin waited up till 2 a.m. yesterday to advance the hands of the clock, but whether this was done before retiring on Saturday or after rising on Sunday it would appear that time has changed in most of the homes in the city. And now that summer time is really in operation how much worse off are we?
Of course, some confusion was anticipated, and only those affected know how great that confusion was. It was certainly a novel situation to find the Town Hall clock striking a solitary 1, while the Big Ben on the Stock Exchange tolled solemnly to the number 12, like some over-zealous chorister eager to outdo his fellow in volume, and beating the conductor's baton. Someone had blundered. The clock overlooking Custom House square maintained the even tenor of its way, while timepieces, large and small, all over the city ticked away an hour ahead.
No doubt some people arrived at the church door yesterday to hear the benediction being pronounced, and it would not be surprising to learn of many engagements that were not kept, but by the time another weekend has come the people's only reminder of the new state of affairs will be the extra hour of daylight experienced after the day's work is done. But how ever it affects us summer time is an experiment which all must undertake, and it remains to be seen during the next few months whether or not this is a step forward towards the Utopia which even the most blase cynic dreams of sometimes.
The father and sponsor of summer time, Mr T. K. Sidey, MP, in outlining his reasons for promoting the idea said all indoor workers will benefit by the additional hour available for fresh air and recreation after work. A very large and ever-increasing majority of people did not use the very early hours of daylight in summer, and it was irrational to waste daylight in the morning and resort to artificial light in the evening.
"Those farmers who may consider that the Act has disadvantages so far as their industry is concerned, are asked to consider whether it may not also have some advantages," he said. Thus ... a great deal of cream will arrive earlier; and may there not be circumstances under which the additional hour of daylight in the evenings may be advantageous, even on the farm? Further, the motor car in the annihilation of distance, has greatly altered conditions in the country by making it possible for the young people of the country to meet together for recreation in the summer evenings".