THE WASTE OF DAYLIGHT.
[To THE EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR."' SIR,—I have read your article and the ensuing correspondence with much interest ; but I miss something. There is no suggestion of what I suppose to be the real cause why so much daylight is wasted in summer. This I take to be the shortness of daylight at or about midwinter, and the reflex action of that shortness on our habits of rising and retiring. If we take December 1st and February 1st as the beginning and end of midwinter months, we find that the sun rises at about 7.50 on each of these days, and of course from December 1st to 20th it is rising later and later. Or if we start from November 15th and go on to February 15th, counting three months as midwinter, we find the sun rising at 7.25 on the first and last of these days. Thus the sun is above the horizon for no more than four hours thirty-five minutes in the midwinter forenoons, and though there is about an hour of forenoon twilight, yet the twilight is apt to be so obscured by clouds that it produces no practical effect as illumination. In other words, any one who would rise at 7 on any morning between November 15th and February 15th must needs put on his clothes, and perhaps eat his breakfast, by artificial light. Is it any wonder that every one who can afford it keeps his bed in winter until 8 o'clock ? I am not forgetting that the question is how to make the most of the long summer mornings, so as to have as much daylight as possible in reserve, between the close of the business day and sunset ; but my point is that the hour of rising is prescribed by the short winter days. Since 8 o'clock, or 7 at earliest, is the compulsory rising hour in winter, shops, offices, and places of business cannot open much before 10. In order to derive any advantage from the lengthening mornings, the hour of rising should be altered almost from month to month, and the hours of business in like manner. It would be delightful if it could be accomplished, but the fact that it has never been attempted goes far to prove it impracticable. Besides, even if we all took to rising at 6 from April to November, we should still, in May, June, and July, be wasting daylight from 3.30 or 4 a.m. I am not arguing against anything that your correspondents suggest, but simply endeavouring to state the difficulty. Unless this be done, no remedy can be discovered.—I am, Sir, &c.,
E. S. R.
Previous page
