Francis N. McCrea
Laurier Liberal
Mr. F. N. McORKA (Sherbrooke):
Having been bom and brought up on a farm, and still having some knowledge of farming, because whilst not a farmer, I am connected with a concern that does a great deal of farming, stock raising and so on, being the representative of a city constituency and also being quite a large employer of help, I think I speak on this subject with some knowledge. After listening to the speeches this afternoon and evening, I am puzzled to know what special advantage is to be derived from this measure or what great good it is going to do to anybody. It is said that if the clock is moved forward an hour, a great benefit will accrue to the labouring classes, the people of the cities in particular. Listening to the addresses which have been delivered on this subject to-day, I have noticed that practically every man who represents a city district is in favour of the Bill, whilst those representing the rural districts and farming communities are opposed to it. Evidently, the city people are in favour of the Bill. It would be well for the residents of the cities to utilise the time they have now as the clock stands, and instead of getting to their business at nine or ten o'clock in the morning, to get up a little earlier and make use of the time between seven and nine o'clock. In many of the large cities you cannot find a man to do business with practically before ten o'clock in the morning. If the saving of daylight is going to be of so much benefit to the residents of the cities, let them show their
9 p.m. good faith by using the daylight as it now exists and the clock as it now_ stands. Whether the clock is moved forward an hour or backward an hour, I do not think it will make any material difference to the farmer, his wife, sons or daughters, because the farmer gen-
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erally gets up as soon as the sun rises and his family get up with him, and they are busy from that time until the sun sets. It. will, however, make a very material difference to the help employed by the farmer. This matter has been very thoroughly explained, and I think every man who has any .knowledge of farming understands that in the early morning you cannot do to advantage the greater part of the work on the farm- The dew is then on the ground, so that the ground is wet, and weeding or anything of that kind cannot be done to such great advantage as in the heat of the day when, if you cut weeds, they will be immediately killed off by the heat of the sun's rays instead of sprouting again. The farmer's help, if the clock is moved forward one hour and six o'clock is called seven, will in the majority of cases not be found on the job at what is supposed to be seven o'clock. When five o'clock comes, or six o'clock according to the new time, that will be quitting time with him, and the farmer will find it very difficult to have him continue his Work, especially if he sees his comrades and friends, who are labouring in the cities or on other jobs outside of farming, leaving their work, putting on their ball clothes and going to the ball field or bowling alley or some other place of amusement. Thus, the men on the farms and the farmers' sons will begin to be restless. At this particular time when the farmer and every other man who produces is being admonished, advised, coaxed, persuaded to produce more, if we want the farmer to produce, we must give him the best part of the day for the work of production, and in harvesting or haying or practically any other work on the farm, the hour from five to six o'clock in the evening is worth more than the two hours from six to eight o'clock in the morning. Under any circumstances, the legislation passed by this Parliament should, at all times, have a tendency to attract men to the farms. We have heard the admonition given to the young men to go back to the land. If we are to get them back to the land, the best way to get them there is to make the land attractive, and if by legislation you make the hours of labour from six o'clock in the. morning to five o'clock in the evening, you will find it will be very difficult to keep help on the farm. It is said that by his method of putting the clock forward one hour, there is going to be a great deal of cultivation in the backyard; that the citizens are going to flood this country with- their production. I did a little of that myself last year, and I did not have great success.