Source
State Archives of Florida, Series S125
Description
A letter from John L. Sandy to Governor Askew urging him not to repeal Daylight Saving Time and cause more confusion, dated January 27, 1974.
General Note
In 1973, the United States was facing energy shortages and developed a variety of approaches to conserve energy as a result, including the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973. This legislation established a trial period of year-round Daylight Saving Time (DST) from January 6, 1974 to April 27, 1975. The hope was that an extra hour of daylight in the evening would reduce energy consumption, especially the use of electricity.
In Florida, the change to year-round DST came with serious consequences. In the first few weeks after the time change was enacted, several school-aged children were injured in traffic accidents in the dark mornings on their way to school.
In response to these accidents, there was an outpouring of citizen correspondence to Governor Askew expressing their opinions on year-round DST and whether or not Florida should move to counteract the Federal mandate within the state.
On January 29th, 1974, the Florida Legislature met for a special session to discuss DST. At the end of this session, no legislation was passed, and Florida continued to comply with the year-round Daylight Saving Time that President Nixon established.
In 2018, the Florida Legislature passed the “Sunshine Protection Act” (HB1013/SB858), stating that Florida will enact a year-round DST, provided that the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966 is amended to permit states to do so.
The Honorable Rubin Askew
Governor, State of Florida,
Governor's Office
Tallahassee, Florida.
Dear Governor:
Please reconsider your call for a special session of the legislature to repeal Daylight Saving Time.
You predicate your action on the fact that eight children in the entire State lost their lives on the way to school because of Daylight Saving Time. Have you checked into the circumstances concerning each death? One lad was killed while running across the street to get more oranges to throw under the wheels of passing cars. What about the other seven deaths? How many deaths occurred before we went on daylight saving? Are you naïve enough to believe that changing time will stop the accidents to children going to school.
What are all of the other States in the nation doing as they have the same problem? Even if you push the clocks back an hour many of the children on the first session of double sessions will, for the next three to five weeks be going to school in the dark. What percentage is eight out of the hundreds of thousands of children going to school every day? Is that percentage more than the normal unavoidable accident rate?
It appears, Governor, that someone yelled "Apple Pie & Motherhood" and you panicked.
Let's see what your proposed action will do to us:
1 - We can not ever again have daylight saving time.
2 - The State will have a bad name for failing to cooperate in the energy crisis.
3 - Airline, Bus and Train traffic will be in turmoil.
4 - The banking industry and related stock market transactions will be disrupted.
5 - Television schedules will be nothing but confusion.
6 - More accidents and pupils on second sessions, will be endangered going home in the dark.
You have not developed any evidence that pushing the clock back one hour will assure the safe conduct of children to school.
You have developed evidence that the above action will throw the economy of the State into turmoil and confusion.
Let us return to reason and common sense and go along with the rest of the country in it’s hour of need.
Sincerely
John L Sandy [signed]
John L. Sandy
13569 Imperial Groves Dr. N.
Largo. Fla. 33540
Chicago Manual of Style
Sandy, John L., 1901-1985. Letter from John L. Sandy to Governor Askew asking him not to repeal Daylight Saving Time, January 27, 1974. 1974-01-27. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. <https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/350894>, accessed 15 November 2024.
MLA
Sandy, John L., 1901-1985. Letter from John L. Sandy to Governor Askew asking him not to repeal Daylight Saving Time, January 27, 1974. 1974-01-27. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.<https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/350894>
AP Style Photo Citation
(State Archives of Florida/Sandy)
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