PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from OLIVER AND BOYD, TWEEDDALE COURT, EDINBURGH; or 1908. ORDER OF REFERENCE. Thursday, 26th March, 1908. Daylight Saving Bill,-read a second time : Bill committed to a Select Committee.-(Mr. Robert Pearce.) Tuesday, 25th April, 1908. Daylight Saving Bill, The Select Committee on the Daylight Saving Bill was nominated of,— Mr. Harrison-Broadley, Mr. Holt, Mr. Hutton, Sir Walter Nugent, Mr. Robert Pearce, Captain Pirie, Colonel Philipps, Mr. Thomas Frederick Richards, and Sir Edward Sassoon. Ordered, That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers, and records. [iii] REPORT. THE SELECT COMMITTEE to whom the DAYLIGHT SAVING BILL was referred have considered the said Bill, and taken evidence thereon which they have agreed to Report to the House; and have gone through the Bill and made Amendments thereunto. SPECIAL REPORT. THE SELECT COMMITTEE to whom the DAYLIGHT referred:-HAVE agreed to the following SPECIAL REPORT:— whom the DAYLIGHT SAVING BILL was 1. That the Committee have met and considered the said Bill, and have examined numerous Witnesses, records and papers, and have directed the said Bill to be reported to the House with amendments. And the Committee have directed the Minutes of Evidence with an Appendix to be laid before the House. 2. And the Committee find that the Bill proposes the adoption of a local time in advance of Greenwich mean time in the case of Great Britain, and in advance of Dublin mean time in the case of Ireland, during the summer months, viz., from April to September in each year, with the object of promoting the earlier and more extended use and enjoyment of daylight during those months. And that such object is desirable and would benefit the community if it can be generally attained, and that the weight of the evidence submitted to the Committee agrees with and supports this view, though there was divergence of opinion as to the best mode of accomplishing it. 3. The paramount advantage the Committee find to be the greater use of daylight during the months named. The effect of the proposals of the Bill would be: (1) To move the usual hours of work and leisure nearer to sunrise. (2) To promote the greater use of daylight for recreative purposes of all kinds, (3) To lessen the use of licensed houses. (4) To facilitate the training of the Territorial forces. (5) To benefit the physique, general health and welfare of all classes of the community. (6) To reduce the industrial, commercial and domestic expenditure on artificial light. 4. The principle of the Bill has been supported by the Chambers of Commerce in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Sheffield, and other towns, and by the Borough Councils of Glasgow, Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Hackney, Llandudno, and other places; by the London and North Western Railway Company, the London and South Western Railway Company, the Great Central Railway Company, and by the Great Eastern Railway Company, except as to Continental traffic, which on that railway is a little over per cent. of the passenger traffic and not more than 5 per cent. of the goods traffic; by many representatives of the manufacturing, commercial and shopkeeping classes; by the Secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, comprising 700,000 members; by numerous associations for recreative purposes; by schoolmasters and others interested in education and the welfare of children. Evidence has been submitted showing the reception of the Bill by the Press, of which by far the largest proportion is favourable. The Post Office, represented by Sir Henry Babington Smith, K.C.B., agreed that the postal business in the United Kingdom and with the Colonies and United States could be easily accommodated to the proposals of the Bill, but that some difficulties would arise with regard to European postal business, and stated that the total letters and other postal articles dealt with every week averaged 48 millions, of which less than six millions are Continental and foreign. 5. Papers have been submitted showing the numerous Statutes, Rules, Regulations and Bye-laws which contain reference to clock-time. 6. The Committee have invited objections to the proposals contained in the Bill, and such as have been made appear in the Evidence, and may be summarised as follows: (A) Objections to the Bill altogether, or (B) to the particular proposals. (A) Objections that the Bill is unnecessary or undesirable. As to these the Committee agree that the objects proposed cannot be attained without legislation. And that a single Act establishing local time for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is better than an Act severally altering all the times prescribed by various Acts, Bye-laws and other rules for the conduct of civil business. And that the interference with European traffic will be inappreciable compared with the general benefit to the nation at large, and can be easily overcome. And that the interference with American business can be obviated without serious dislocation or loss by the adherence of those concerned to their present hours when necessary. And that the various interests affected could without much initial difficulty adapt themselves to the alteration. (B) As to objections to the particular proposals, viz. :-That the making of four alterations of 20 minutes each in April and four alterations of 20 minutes each in September would occasion undue public inconvenience and too much resulting interference with the ordinary measurement of time in those months by clocks and watches. The Committee considered the following proposals for obviating or minimising these difficulties, (1) Three alterations of 30 minutes each in April and three alterations of 30 minutes each in September; or (2) Two alterations of 30 minutes each in April and two alterations of 30 minutes each in September; or (3) A single alteration of one hour in April and a single alteration of one hour in September; or (4) A permanent alteration of one hour, and so adopting Mid-European time. 7. The Committee agree that this last proposal is eminently undesirable, and for the sake of simplicity and general public convenience, the Committee find that a single alteration of one hour in April and a similar alteration of one hour in September is the best mode of attaining the object of the Bill. 8. And the Committee recommend that these changes should take place at two o'clock in the morning Greenwich mean time in the case of Great Britain, and Dublin mean time in the case of Ireland, on the third Sunday in April, and at two o'clock in the morning Greenwich mean time in the case of Great Britain, and Dublin mean time in the case of Ireland, on the third Sunday in September of each year. And the Committee amended the Bill accordingly. 9. And the Committee find there is no serious practical difficulty in adjusting clocks and watches to these seasonal changes. The Committee consider that the Bill should be called the Local Time (Great Britain and Ireland) Bill. The Committee consider that no interference with Greenwich mean time should be attempted, and that for all scientific purposes, such as astronomy or navigation, Greenwich mean time should continue to be used as heretofore. |