Let There Be Light

It has been a long time since the average American rose with the dawn and went to bed with the sun. It has even been quite a while since the average office opened at 8 a.m. Yet standard time, which is premised on such habits, has lingered on. Early-morning light is now a commodity traditionally considered precious only to farmers whose animals cry out for attention at dawn. The present-day American, becoming more urban every year, much prefers his extra hour of light to come at the other, after-work end of the day. So, at least, claimed New York State Senator Edward J. Speno last week in his introduction of a bill by which New York would operate on daylight saving time the full year round..

Not even New York's farmers, says Speno, would object any more to having an extra daylight hour of leisure time in the afternoon. After an informal survey across the state, Speno found that "farms are pretty well automated by now, and the cows and chickens can take care of themselves." Among other potential advantages he cites: children returning home from school would no 'longer have to trek in the dark, and, most important, adults making the trip home after work would be saved the hazards of twilight driving. Throughout the state, as well as in Manhattan, more traffic accidents occur in the late afternoon and early evening commuting hours than at any other time of the day, and every year the total increases with the switch to standard time.

Other areas of the country where farmers are a greater percentage of the population are still loyal to standard time. But Speno becomes almost rhapsodic when he thinks about daylight saving time: "Light seems to lengthen our days and our lives because time is really an experience of the mind. The light will end for each of us, and maybe for all of us suddenly. It is certainly within our power now to rescue an hour of light every day for six more months of the year."

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