Did everyone remember to turn back the clocks on Saturday night or first thing Sunday morning? Do you like this exercise in futility? I mean, really, where’s the savings? You may not have to turn on a light in the morning, depending on what time you wake, but you’ll have to turn on the lights on hour earlier in the evening.
Daylight-saving time was imposed by the federal government during World War I with the notion it would conserve fuel. Hostility led to the measure’s repeal after the war. The federal government gave the states the option of continuing the time change if they wanted.
The majority of Wisconsinites didn’t want to. Farmers, especially, didn’t appreciate the havoc it caused with cow-milking and field work.
City folk were more in favor of it. Milwaukee tested of version of “fast time,” and the state legislature made it illegal to use anything but Central Standard Time. Some businesses changed their own clocks in 1930, and the following year, punishments were enacted. A businessman could go to jail for 30 days and have to pay a $50 fine.
“War time” came back with World War II. After the war, neighboring states allowed daylight-saving time, and many business groups pushed for Wisconsin to join them. Not until 1957 was the change adopted through a statewide referendum.
During the long fight to make the change, the Milwaukee Journal ran an ad, “For Sunlight’s sake…for Daylight’s sake…for Recreation’s sake…for Leisure’s sake…for Health’s sake…for better living, vote Yes.”
So the clocks have been changed. But it still doesn’t change the number of hours of daylight.