Jillian Spring, from Billinudgel, delved into the history books to show that the arguments against daylight saving are nothing new.
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I was stirred by comments by your writer Joy Cunningham recently about daylight saving.
As it was and the same now – a look at some very important history.
In Tasmania, the 1917 Labor Devonport Conference there was a proposal “That the Parliamentary Party be requested repeal of the Daylight Saving Act (DS Act)” put forward by the Launceston women’s branch.
It went on to say: “That the DS Act, by robbing women, children and hard-working men of necessary rest, is prejudicial to their health. Conference request the Labor members to use their best efforts for the repeal of the Act.”
It was decided to urge the repeal of the Act. [Nth Western Advocate & Emu Bay Times, April 10,1917, p2]
In July, 1917, a NSW Senator introduced a bill in federal parliament to repeal the DS Act – received with cheers. Repeal was agreed to by both Houses, its doom assured and it “will put an end to the system in all States except Tasmania at this time”.
Then, in 1919, Mr Burbury MP brought a Bill to Repeal the DS Act in Tasmania. Also, the then premier said parents of children had begged and implored him to inducedParliament to revert to the old sysem and it (the repeal) would be hailed with delight.
Thus the headline story:
DAYLIGHT SAVING REPEALED GOVERNOR GIVES ASSENT (Burnie Advocate, October 25, 1919).
...His Excellency the Governor gave the vice-regal assent to the Daylight Saving Repeal Bill this morning, so that there will be no alteration of the clocks on Sunday next, the date for the operation of the Act had it not been...
[comment: stopped at very short notice js] - National Library of Australia]
And in World WarII, Western Australia did not want daylight saving.
Comments to Joy Cunningham’s letter that cities and coastal people overwhelming support daylight saving is not right – that is put out by the pro-daylight saving people and the Coalition, who are too scared
to have a trial without daylight saving as the only experience/test of reality.