Source
State Archives of Florida, Series S125
Description
A letter from Paul Fluegel Wallace to Governor Askew expressing his desire to keep Daylight Saving Time and criticizing Askew, dated February 12, 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.
PHONE 896-8686
OFFICE HOURS BY APPOINTMENT
CHARLES L. FARRINGTON, M.D.
PAUL F. WALLACE, M.D.
BONE AND JOINT SURGERY
1501 5TH AVENUE NO.
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA 33705
Received Governor’s Office Feb 15 8 04 AM ’74 [stamped]
February 12, 1974
Governor Reuben Askew
Tallahassee
Florida
Dear Governor Askew:
It is incomprehensible to me how we could waste the tax payers money in calling a special session to do away with daylight savings time and accomplish nothing. In the first place, from what I can see, the accidents, though unfortunate, had little to do with daylight savings time.
I work very hard and I like to have some daylight hours when I come home from work at night. The majority of the doctors and my friends in this town are very much in favor of daylight savings time.
I also cannot understand why you are talking about rationing gas when you have had two months to do something about the unnecessary use of electricity. Last month when I came home from the University of Florida Medical Center, the weight station on Interstate 75 at 11 o'clock at night was closed, but all of the large headlights were on. Later when I came into St Petersburg on I-75 the section of I-75 leading into downtown, which is closed to traffic, had full lights on for at least a mile and one-half stretch.
Yesterday morning at 8 o'clock, I looked out of the top floor of the hospital and in the 45 sector that I could see, even though it was daylight, I counted over 1000 lights on. These were street lights, business lights, sign lights, airport lights. I resent the present gas shortage even more when I see things about my State that I think you could act upon and in fact should have acted upon a long time ago. With the reduced traffic late at night certainly every other light on many of the bridges and roads could be not used.
Sincerely yours,
Paul Wallace [signed]
Paul F. Wallace, M.D.
PFW: kc
Chicago Manual of Style
Wallace, Paul Fleugel, 1921-2013. Letter from Paul Fleugel Wallace to Governor Askew in support of Daylight Saving Time, February 12, 1974. 1974-02-12. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. <https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/350897>, accessed 16 November 2024.
MLA
Wallace, Paul Fleugel, 1921-2013. Letter from Paul Fleugel Wallace to Governor Askew in support of Daylight Saving Time, February 12, 1974. 1974-02-12. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.<https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/350897>
AP Style Photo Citation
(State Archives of Florida/Wallace)
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