Michael Downing notes:
“For centuries
people set their clocks and watches by looking up at the sun and estimating,
which yielded wildly dissimilar results between (and often within) cities and
towns.
To railroad
companies around the world, that wasn’t acceptable. They needed synchronized,
predictable station times for arrivals and departures, so they proposed
splitting up the globe into 24 time zones.
In 1883, the
economic clout of the railroads allowed them to replace sun time with standard
time with no legislative assistance and little public opposition. The clocks
were calm for almost 30 years, apart from an annual debate in the British
Parliament over whether to pass a Daylight Saving Act. While proponents argued
that shoving clocks ahead during summer months would reduce energy consumption
and encourage outdoor recreation, the opposition won out.
Then, in 1916,
Germany suddenly adopted the British idea in hopes of conserving energy for its
war effort. Within a year, Great Britain followed suit. And despite fanatical
opposition from the farm lobby, so would the United States.”