On Wed 2006/01/25 15:07:48 CDT, John Cowan wrote
in a message to: LEAPSECS_at_ROM.USNO.NAVY.MIL
>I now abbreviate this whole argument with the word "Kashi".
>(To reiterate: |LMT-LCT| in Kashi, a city in western China (which has
>no DST), is about 3 hours.)
So I'll abbreviate the counter argument to "Farmers".
Even after over 30 years of daylight saving the rural lobby in New South
Wales (NSW) still bitches like hell about it. A NSW state referendum in
1976 enshrined daylight saving in law but left open the dates when it
should operate. Consequently the rural lobby still argues about when it
should start (as late as possible) and end (as early as possible). In
tropical Queensland, a state referendum held in 1992 abandoned daylight
saving altogether. On the other hand, Tasmania goes earlier and ends
later than the rest. At one time, all four eastern states were on
different time zones for a period of weeks when they couldn't agree on
start and end dates. At the other side of the continent, Western
Australia, which spans all latitudes, has rejected daylight saving in
three separate referenda - the "bush" (rural/north) always prevailing
over the south. See
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1995-96/96rn17.pdf and for a laugh
http://www.theage.com.au/news/tips/time-to-end-time-madness/2005/11/24/11327033
18272.html and
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s689016.htm - it's a google-
rich subject!
In a centrally controlled country like China, the citizens of Kashi can
bitch all they like about it - as long as they do it quietly. Has
anyone actually asked them whether they like being 3 hours off solar
time? What time do they start and finish work there? Maybe they just
work "daylight" hours!
Once the penny drops, which by intention or otherwise may take a long
time, the rural lobby will see the leap second proposal as enforced
daylight saving introduced gradually by stealth. Then you can expect a
backlash.
So to "Kashi" I say "Farmers".
Mark Calabretta
ATNF
Received on Thu Jan 26 2006 - 15:43:59 PST