of the present daylight saving program in Minnesota. This 86.9 percent breaks down into 36.8 percent favoring the Wisconsin (or 5 months daylight saving program) and 50.1 percent favoring the eastern seaboard and California (or 6 months daylight saving program). The survey among the other 10 cities in the metropolitan area obtained very similar results and the combined percentage for all cities was 88.9 percent in favor of an extension of daylight saving time over the present 3-month period, with 34.4 percent favoring the 5-month extension and 54.5 percent favoring the 6-month extension. A survey conducted by the St. Paul Dispatch Pioneer Press resulted in the favoring of daylight time extension by approximately 2 to 1. Of the 15 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, 13 are presently under a 6-month daylight saving program. Detroit has no daylight saving program and the St. Paul-Minneapolis area is the only other exception to the 6 months' uniformity among these 15 largest metropolitan areas. Comments received by the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce in the course of its conducting the survey on daylight saving time, indicates the concern of St. Paul business and professional men over the lack of uniformity under which Minnesota presently operates, and the necessity for bringing our area into line with the other major metropolitan areas in the United States. The economic loss brought about by this lack of uniformity would be difficult to measure but there is no question that it is considerable. Shortening of the hours in which a business can operate on an interstate basis alone must result in economic hardship. In view of the preponderance of opinion among the members of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce who were polled in our survey, and among the business and professional people in the St. Paul-Minneapolis metropolitan areas, the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, through its board of directors, goes on record as favoring an extension of daylight saving time in our area, which will bring us in conformity with other major metropolitan areas in the United States, and we respectfully urge the Legislature of the State of Minnesota to favorably consider legislation which will make this uniformity possible. The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce also respectfully requests that the city council of the city of St. Paul go on record for a program of uniformity for daylight saving time in conformance with other major metropolitan areas. Further, the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce urges all chambers of commerce in the St. Paul-Minneapolis area to take similar action. Adopted February 24, 1965. Council of Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Chambers of Commerce summary of daylight saving time poll ST. PAUL AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PRESS RELEASE No. 44, APRIL 20, 1965 The Twin Cities metropolitan area, and the whole State of Minnesota for that matter, will enter into a period of confusion on time relationships with other cities and States in the United States and Provinces in Canada on Sunday, April 25, at 2 a.m. A survey released today by the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce shows that 15 States, the District of Columbia, and 3 Provinces of Canada will be changing their clocks ahead 1 hour to daylight saving time early Sunday morning. In addition, a number of major metropolitan centers, such as Cleveland and St. Louis, will also be moving into their daylight saving time periods then even though their respective States do not. Some of Minnesota's neighboring States have changed their regulations on the fast-time situation since last year. The chamber report shows Wisconsin on daylight saving time beginning at 2 a.m. this Sunday and remaining on fast time until October 31. Wisconsin lawmakers added the month of October to the daylight saving time schedule in their State this year to conform with the majority of other States who have the system. Iowa has a new fast-time law this year which restricts all areas of that State to daylight saving time from 2 a.m. May 23 to 2 a.m. September 7, the same as Minnesota. Last year Iowa had no statewide law, but most cities and counties adopted the 6-month program on their own. The chamber pointed out that several Twin Cities area and statewide polls indicated overwhelming support for a change in Minnesota's present law to allow for a 5- or 6-month daylight saving time program, but that efforts to move such measures through the Minnesota Legislature have failed. NOTE. Following is the chamber report on daylight saving time as it affects 67 cities in the United States and Canada and their time relative to Minnesota time. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME-1965 The following States of the United States and Provinces of Canada will observe daylight saving time from 2 a.m. Sunday, April 25 to 2 a.m. Sunday, October 31: California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. Minnesota will observe daylight saving time from 2 a.m. Sunday, May 23 to 2 a.m. Tuesday, September 7. A comparison of the time in a number of the principal cities of the United States and Canada with Minnesota's daylight saving time is indicated below: Los Angeles, Calif. (P.d.t.). Oklahoma City, Okla. (c.s.t.). Omaha, Nebr. (c.s.t.)... Salt Lake City, Utah (m.s.t.) San Francisco, Calif. (P.d.t.). Seattle, Wash. (P.d.t.). Sioux Falls. S. Dak. (c.s.t.). Toronto, Ontario (e.d.t.) Tulsa, Okla. (e.s.t.).. Vancouver, British Columbia (P.d.t.). Washington, D.C. (e.d.t.). Winnipeg, Manitoba (c.d.t.). NOTE. A.s.t.-Alaska standard time The CHAIRMAN. Our next witness is Congressman Donald Fraser, of Minnesota. We are glad to have you with us, Mr. Fraser. Please give us the benefit of your views. STATEMENT OF HON. DONALD M. FRASER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA Mr. FRASER. Mr. Chairman, I have a two and a half page statement which I shall submit for the record, and I shall not take the time of the committee to read it. The CHAIRMAN. We appreciate that, and I intend, if you will excuse me for a moment, to make the statement that if anybody has a prepared statement he wishes to put in the record, he shall do so. If he cares to read it, of course, he may. Mr. FRASER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My thought in putting it in the record is that I, too, describe in here some of the perplexities and complexities that resulted when the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul went on divergent paths with respect to the beginning of daylight saving time. This matter has been referred to by Congressman Karth, the problems that arose, and I shall not read it. We have here, Mr. Chairman, with us today two other representatives of the Minnesota community, Mr. Lloyd Brandt, who is representing the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, and Representative John Tracy Anderson, one of our distinguished legislators from St. Paul, who I think will again reemphasize, probably, some of the problems that have been created in Minnesota by lack of this uniformity. May I, Mr. Chairman, just add my own thought that as Congressman Karth has said, there is no pride of authorship in those of us who are concerned about the lack of uniformity. Our introduction and reintroduction of measures has been primarily in support of those like yourself who, with the committee responsibility, have taken the lead in this matter. We have wanted to show our support of what you have been seeking to do. We would hope that the committee would find the best formula that could pass the Congress and that you would know, then, that those of us who are concerned would be prepared to offer all the help that we can in winning support from the rest of our colleagues. My bill talks about beginning daylight saving on the last Sunday of April and discontinuing it on the last Sunday of October. These dates are selected primarily because this represents the majority starting and ending dates for States in the United States which are on daylight saving time. Our bill, as I think most bills, will not require any State to take daylight saving time for itself, but would only say that if it elects to do so, that it must conform to these dates. If it elects not to do so, then it may remain on standard time. Mr. Chairman, I shall not take more of the time of the committee, because there are many other witnesses who will testify about the problems arising in commerce and communications. I would just close by saying that I cannot think of a more appropriate subject for Federal legislation than attempting to bring some order out of the chaos that exists today. It seems to me that above all other things, the idea of trying to put some kind of uniformity in the time situation in the United States does deserve the attention of the Congress. I congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, for your interest and concern in this matter. (The complete statement of Representative Fraser follows:) STATEMENT OF HON. DONALD M. FRASER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am very pleased to appear here today in support of H.R. 6134 and H.R. 11743, which I have introduced to provide a uniform period of daylight saving time (DST). I have been concerned with the problem of time uniformity for several years. Time problems plagued our State during the years I was a member of the Minnesota Senate, but these problems were not settled then, and I have continued to be concerned about them as a Member of Congress. I believe we need Federal legislation to resolve the confusion arising from the use of daylight saving time and for that reason I have introduced bills in the 88th and 89th Congresses to provide a uniform period for the use of DST. I fully realize the complexities of the time issue. Although the first bill which I introduced, H.R. 6134, is a short straightforward measure, it does not belie the fact that the time problems before you are knotty. H.R. 6134 would simply have all daylight saving time begin at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of April and continue until 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October each year. The cities and States which have elected to go on daylight saving time would all shift on and off at the same time. Thus H.R. 6134 is designed to eliminate needless confusion. The need for uniformity is apparent in this era of interlocking State and regional economies. It is apparent in this era of jet travel and continental super highways. It is apparent when a person's place of work is in a different locality or State than his home. Some local authorities have found themselves faced with a dilemma in deciding on the effective date of daylight saving time. My own State of Minnesota offers a good example of the problems that can arise. Minnesota observed d.s.t. on a nonstatewide basis from the fourth Sunday in May to Labor Day. This past year, several cities in the eastern part of the State jumped the gun and began d.s.t. on the same date as Wisconsin, our eastern neighbor, started d.s.t. This prompted one Minnesota paper to write that: "Convicts do time; soldiers do double time; Minnesotans do triple time." For a while we had central standard time, daylight saving time, and extended daylight saving time. I would now like to recall for the committee our worst experience with time confusion-a real "Tale of Two Cities" to quote Charles Dickens. On May 9 last year, our capital city, St. Paul, decided to go on d.s.t. 2 weeks ahead of the statewide changeover date. The confusion that resulted is almost indescribable: (1) All of the State offices located in St. Paul remained on standard time. (2) The St. Paul police were writing out parking tickets on standard time while the firemen were fighting fires on daylight saving time. (3) The city council which voted d.s.t. convened for its regular meeting under a clock that was on standard time because all of the courthouses remained in standard time. This confusion was compounded by the fact that the Twin City of Minneapolis, which I represent, remained on standard time. For a while you could lose an hour just by going across the bridge. Or, if you were not careful, you could get caught in two 5 o'clock rush hour traffic jams instead of the usual one. All this was made worse by fact that some of the suburbs went on d.s.t. with St. Paul, while some remained on standard time. Throughout this entire episode our State legislature was unable to approve a bill which would have resolved these problems. I am told by some of my colleagues that they have had the same experience in their States. It is for this reason that I strongly believe we need Federal legislation to provide a uniform period for d.s.t. Mr. Chairman, I would like to emphasize that my interest is in uniformity. The virtues of local autonomy are many, but to the businessman or commuter or tourist, the varying dates of changeover must seem like idle caprice. I do not want to force any State to go on d.s.t. if it does not choose to do so at this time. The beginning and ending dates proposed by me reflect the practices of the majority of the States. I think the proposals that have been made by myself and others are not an undue intrusion on local law and autonomy. In my own State of Minnesota, a statewide poll in 1964 showed that a majority of Minnesotans favored congressional action to decide dates for d.s.t. As a result Minnesota residents are asking the Federal Government to set a uniform period for daylight saving. This is true for both those who support and those who oppose having daylight saving time in Minnesota at all. I ask that the results of this poll as published in the Minneapolis Tribune on June 14, 1964, be made a part of this record (see app. A). Uniformity in time would result in cost savings to airlines, bus lines, and railroads as the need to change schedules would become less frequent. It would eliminate some annoying time confusion for the traveler, whether he is going by automobile or public transportation. Broadcasting and communications in general would also benefit. The Federal Government is responsible for the well-being of all its citizens. It is concerned with economic waste wherever it appears. Especially now when we are financing a great military commitment in Vietnam and continuing to provide for the much needed programs of the Great Society, we cannot afford to waste the resources of our country. This is particularly true when the cause of the waste can easily be corrected. For this reason, I have sponsored legislation to provide a uniform period of d.s.t. I urge its immediate adoption to correct current anomalies and to provide one future uniform daylight saving time period. APPENDIX A MINNESOTA POLL: 58 PERCENT SAY CONGRESS SHOULD DECIDE DATES FOR DAYLIGHT SAVING (Copyright 1964, Minneapolis Star & Tribune Co.) Minnesotans are divided on whether to start daylight saving time (d.s.t.) in late April or in late May, but a majority of State residents think it would be better if Congress set uniform limits for all States who use it. |