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Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS,

Chairman, Subcommittee on Commercial Finance,
Washington, D.C.:

ATLANTA, GA., August 4, 1964.

Standard time, being orderly, is basically right. Daylight saving time, being disorderly, is basically wrong.

With time standardized, the time everywhere is easily deducted from the time anywhere, and time differentials, once learned, need never be adjusted. Planning future activities, either locally or away, can be done with certainty and simplicity. In such of our activity, coordination is essential, and with time standardized, no problem.

On the other hand, daylight saving time causes confusion, incurs needless expense, and breeds injustice.

Travelers, transportation companies, and speakers know of the confusion caused by daylight saving time. The Sunday morning of the change is a particular instance. Church attendance is always seriously affected (adversely, of course), and going to church is esteemed as one of the best things we do. Upsetting this is bad.

The expense of readjusting timetables twice a year is estimated at not less than $1 million. This is wasted money, a needless drain on our economy. The expense of lost time, wasted time, because people misunderstood the time is an added item probably impossible to estimate. And under daylight saving time, it is easy to misunderstand the time.

Of particular interest is the matter of cutoff dates. Schoolchildren have been admitted to classes who were born just before the cutoff date, whereas, others who were born on the cutoff date were denied admission even though, in point of time, they were half an hour older than the others, daylight saving time being the culprit in this injustice. The voting privilege could be affected the same way.

No one is inconvenienced by standard time. Those who want or like daylight saving time suffer no loss nor added expense because of standard time. Hours can be changed as needful, but the standard ought always to be constant.

Daylight saving time is an imposition on those who need standard time. There is inconvenience and added expense, to say the least.

Standard time harms no one and is a definite advantage. Daylight saving time is no particular advantage to anybody, and a decided burden to many. Even if those who need standard time are a minority, their right to standardized time ought to be respected. In this, under standard time, there is no loss, whereas, under daylight saving time, losses abound.

The conclusion is the same as the introduction: Standard time is orderly and basically right, but daylight saving time is disorderly. It augments the general confusion of the age, is needlessly expensive, and even breeds injustice. It is, therefore, basically wrong.

REV. W. A. COLLINS, East Point, Ga.

NASHVILLE, TENN., June 17, 1964.

Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Daylight Time, Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Committee, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.:

Donald Washburn, administrative assistant to Mayor Beverly Briley of the metropolitan government of Nashville and Davison County, Tenn., who will testify before your committee on uniform daylight time, is authorized and requested to represent Andmea Chamber of Commerce in support of Congressman Richard Fulton's bill for uniform daylight saving time. May the record show Mr. Washburn as our official spokesman.

W. C. BAUER,

President, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

36-471-64

Hon. HARLEY STAGGERS,

U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, June 9, 1964.

Chairman, Subcommittee on Commerce and Finance, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I deeply regret that the legislative situation in the Senate will prevent me from appearing in person before your subcommittee in support of pending legislation to end the timekeeping confusion that annually confounds much of the Nation.

As one who has taken an active role in the Senate Commerce Committee's consideration of uniform time legislation, I believe the need for remedial action is urgent. We can no longer just let the situation drift along.

The dubious distinction of not being able to tell the time of day no longer rests alone with the "village idiot". The common carrier, the stockbroker, the television viewer, and the vacationing traveler are just a few of those who are penalized and inconvenienced by the present chaos in our timekeeping practices. Testimony before our committee indicated that the extra costs occasioned by our current practices exceed several millions of dollars a year in timetable publishing expenses alone, and, of course, there is no way to measure the cost of the inconvenience caused millions of Americans by the present situation.

The source of the confusion is, of course, daylight saving time, and the conflicting and various ways in which it is observed, or not observed, throughout the country. However, it seems clear to me that such obvious solutions as mandatory daylight time, or mandatory standard time, are not really solutions at all, they would force great and unnecessary changes in the practices widely and successfully observed by millions of Americans. I see no need in forcing citizens in 21 States which do not observe daylight saving time to alter their ways. Nor is there an urgent need to force people in 29 States where daylight time is followed to renounce its use. Our country is too big, too diverse, is too varied to force into a single mold.

However, even shunning these extremes, there is still ample room for major and significant improvements in our timekeeping practices. One course of action may be found in the language of S. 1033, as approved by the Senate Commerce Committee.

That bill embodies two basic principles that I would particularly like to emphasize. First, it overhauls and modernizes the 45-year-old Standard Time Act by establishing adequate standard time zones for Alaska and Hawaii, by making all our time zones consistent with international practice, by providing adequate standards to govern the administration of the act, and effective means of enforcing its provisions. Second, the bill is basically aimed at standardizing the dates on which daylight saving time is inaugurated and ended by those areas which observe it (without forcing the observance of daylight time on any area). Action along these lines might be viewed as a minimum, but I believe it would be a highly constructive and effective step ahead, and one which could pave the way for additional improvements, as conditions warranted in the future. With every good wish,

Yours sincerely,

NORRIS COTTON, U.S. Senator.

OFFICE OF CITY CLERK,

BUREAU OF RECORDS,
St. Paul, Minn., May 11, 1964.

Hon. ANCHER NELSEN,

Representative in Congress,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. NELSEN: Enclosed is a copy of a resolution adopted by the St. Paul City Council May 8, urging our Senators and Representatives in the Congress to work for the passage of a Federal daylight saving law which would establish universal dates for initiating and terminating daylight saving time annually. Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated.

Very truly yours,

H. J. RIORDAN, City Clerk.

CITY OF ST. PAUL, OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK-COUNCIL RESOLUTION

Whereas there is no Federal law establishing a uniform date for initiating and terminating daylight saving time; and

Whereas the lack of such Federal law has resulted in the use of various dates for initiating daylight saving time in various cities and communities; and Whereas these discrepancies in the dates for initiating daylight saving time create inconvenience, confusion, and economic loss: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the City Council of St. Paul, Minn., urges our Senators and Representatives in the Congress of the United States to work for the passage of a Federal daylight saving law which would establish universal dates for initiating and terminating daylight saving time annually.

Adopted by the council May 8, 1964.
Approved May 8, 1964.

Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS,

AMERICAN MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION,
Washington, D.C., August 5, 1964.

Chairman, Subcommittee on Commerce and Finance, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN STAGGERS: Delegates representing 13,000 municipal governments adopted the enclosed resolution, "Time Uniformity,' at the 41st annual American Municipal Congress in Miami Beach, Fla., July 29, 1964. The resolution favors the establishment of national time uniformity and urges the Congress to enact appropriate legislation for this purpose.

We understand that your subcommittee has been considering legislation in this field and has just concluded public hearing on the subject. We wish, therefore, to ask that this letter and the resolution adopted in Miami Beach be recorded as a part of the committee's record on this subject. We would further urge that the committee give favorable consideration to reporting out legislation which would accomplish the general purposes of this resolution which, we feel, would assist local governments as well as the transportation industry in coping with the problems of variation between daylight and standard time in many areas of the country.

Sincerely yours,

PATRICK HEALY, Executive Director.

RESOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION

Whereas the observance of time throughout the United States has become increasingly confusing since World War II because of widespread variations in standard and daylight saving time, complicated by frequent time zone boundary disputes, differing standard daylight changeover dates, and an assortment of local community options; and

Whereas such clock confusion prevails extensively at municipal levels, as indicated by the fact that 114 of 220 key cities in the Nation observe daylight saving time while the remaining 106 cities observe standard time; and

Whereas such factors have combined to create bewildering uncertainty and confusion for the American citizen, as well as great expense and burdens for the transportation, communications, and other industries; and

Whereas the problem of time uniformity is presently under active consideration in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as a matter of nationwide concern: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the American Municipal Association favors the establishment of national time uniformity and urges the Congress to enact appropriate legislation for this purpose; and be it further

Resolved, That this association shall cooperate with other organizations in the achievement of this objective.

Adopted at the 41st annual American Municipal Congress, Miami Beach, Fla., July 29, 1964.

Hon. OREN HARRIS,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C., August 11, 1964.

Chairman, Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee,
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: It is my understanding that the proposed legislation referred to in the enclosed telegram from Mr. Boyd F. Scott, Allen Theaters, Farmington, N. Mex., might possibly be brought before the full committee tomorrow. I wanted you to have the benefit of Mr. Scott's opinion and respectfully request that his telegram be made a part of the record and that every consideration be given to Mr. Scott's request.

Kindest regards and best wishes.
Sincerely yours,

THOMAS G. MORRIS.

FARMINGTON, N. MEX., August 10, 1964.

Hon. THOMAS G. MORRIS,

House of Representatives,

Washington, D.C.:

I was surprised today by AP story that House Commerce Subcommittee plans to take up and "likely approve" a bill overhauling U.S. time system without public hearings. The story says: "No public opposition has arisen so far." Reason for this is that public knew nothing about the hearings. Such a bill will severely affect my business. I request your help in asking committee to postpone hearings to give theater owners and other vitally interested persons opportunity to be heard.

Re time uniformity legislation.
Hon. HARLEY O. STAGGERS,

BOYD F. SCOTT, Allen Theaters.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF FARMER COOPERATIVES,
Washington, D.C., June 16, 1964.

Chairman, Subcommittee on Commerce and Finance, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. STAGGERS: The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives supports legislative action designed to bring about greater uniformity in standards for time and their observance.

The authority for this support is contained in a policy resolution adopted on May 16, 1963, by the council's executive committee on an interim basis and ratified by the council's delegate body in annual meeting on January 15, 1964. The resolution reads as follows:

"The council supports in principle the move toward greater uniformity in time, as set forth in the bill, S. 1033, introduced by Senator Warren G. Magnuson, and the companion bill, H.R. 4702, introduced by Congressman Oren Harris."

The reference to these specific bills in the council resolution is to identify the principle of greater uniformity to which the council subscribes and is not intended to commit the council to these particular bills in their entirety to the exclusion of appropriate provisions of other bills dealing with this matter which have been introduced and referred to your subcommittee.

Without passing judgment upon the details of the approximately 10 bills on this subject now before your subcommittee, we believe there are at least 2 basic areas in which legislative action is needed in the interest of greater economy and efficiency in the conduct of transportation and business generally which affects agriculture and all segments of the public. Those areas are:

1. The clarification of existing law to give more clearly defined authority to the administering agency with respect to prescribing time standards and requiring their observance particularly for purposes of Federal activities and interstate commerce, including communications.

2. While leaving to individual States and communities the decision as to whether they shall observe daylight saving time, provide that such jurisdictions as do observe DST shall begin and end DST at the same time of each year.

We believe that the matter of time standards has been permitted to drift too long with consequent adverse effects on the cost and convenience in the conduct

of public business. This impact has been felt in many cases by those serving the agricultural segments of our economy.

We commend you and the other members of your subcommittee for your recognition of the importance of the problem and the attention you are now giving to it. We repsectfully urge appropriate and prompt action by your subcommittee to the end that appropriate legislation may be enacted at this session.

We shall appreciate your inclusion of this statement of the council's policy position in the record of hearings scheduled on the daylight saving and standard time bills on June 18-19, 1964.

Sincerely,

Hon. OREN HARRIS,

L. JAMES HARMANSON, Jr.,
General Counsel.

THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL TRAFFIC LEAGUE,
Washington, D.C., June 18, 1964.

Chairman, House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee,
Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Subcommittee on Commerce and Finance is currently holding public hearings on H.R. 4702 and other bills relating to daylight saving and standard time. The National Industrial Traffic League, on behalf of its membership, wishes to support time uniformity legislation.

The National Industrial Traffic League, a voluntary organization of shippers and associations of shippers, with over 1,600 members throughout the country, at its November 1962 annual meeting, considered the widespread variations in standard and daylight saving time across the country, frequent time zone boundary disputes, differing standard-daylight changeover dates, all of which have combined to create bewildering uncertainty and confusion in the minds of the traveling and shipping public.

League members, upon the recommendation of its passenger traffic committee, voted support of the efforts being made by the Transporation Association of America and others in an endeavor to resolve these problems.

The league therefore urges that H.R. 4702 or similar legislation be favorably reported and progressed to final enactment.

Yours very truly,

Hon. OREN HARRIS,

L. J. DORR, Executive Secretary.

U.S. INDEPENDENT TELEPHONE ASSOCIATION,
Washington, D.C., June 17, 1964.

Chairman, House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee,
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The U.S. Independent Telephone Association (USITA) submits this statement in support of pending legislation on daylight and standard time now under review by the Subcommittee on Commerce and Finance of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. The statement is submitted pursuant to a notice of public hearings issued by the committee clerk on June 4, 1964.

The USITA is the national trade organization representing the independent (non-Bell) portion of the telephone industry. This segment of the Nation's communications network operates more than 13 million telephones servicing over half of the geographical area of the country. Every State but one has independent telephones. The States of Alaska and Hawaii and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are served by independents exclusively. Our companies have one-sixth of the Nation's telephones.

Lack of time uniformity has been a vexing problem for our companies and á source of irritation to their subscribers. Legislation requiring uniformity is urgently needed. Our companies would be pleased if H.R. 4702 or H.R. 7891 introduced by you or H.R. 11483 introduced by Representative Staggers were enacted because of similarity to legislation recommended by a Senate committee.

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