Bah, Daylight Savings Time

Well the war's over.  Can we stop this now?

And by the war, I mean World War One.

Yes, the hideous affliction of Daylight Savings Time was foisted upon a suffering nation by Congress during the Great War.  The concepts are expressed in these United Cigar Stores broadsheets although I've never personally understood the logic behind any of it. Somehow, even though there remain only 24 hours in a day, getting up early is supposed to help us get more done.

Why would that be true?

Now I get the saving coal one.  Okay, I buy that a little.  But the rest of it I think is bull.

Indeed, I'm not even sure that I buy the coal story really. Why, exactly, would an extra hour of daylight save 1,000,000 tons of coal?  No need to turn on the lights late?  What about early?

And is, in 1918 terms, 1,000,000 tons a lot?  It sounds like a lot, but it might not necessarily be.

 

For example, on bull, I don't think you get any more gardening in due to Daylight Savings Time.  The sun still sets pretty late in the summer anyhow and you have plenty of time for gardening.  Particularly if your garden is right there at your home, which for most people it is, and which was undoubtedly the rule in 1918 when Daylight Savings Time came in. 

Daylight Savings Time, we're told, is actually a danger to our health.  There's an increase in heart attack and car accidents after the time change, it's been noted.  But it might be most a danger to fathers who have to wake up their spouses and teenagers. At least that's  my observation.