HELOISE The story behind daylight-saving time -- and one myth

Dear Readers: Daylight-saving time -- do you know why we have this yearly ritual, which begins the first Sunday in April and ends the last Sunday in October?
You should know why we change clocks forward one hour in April and then back one hour in October. (To remember this easily, it's "spring forward, fall back. & quot;)
Wonder no more -- the following are the reasons for DST, but look closely to see if you can tell which one is actually a myth.
UEnergy conservation.
UHelps prevent crime.
UCreated to benefit farmers.
UMakes better use of the extra hour of daylight.
UMore people can commute from work to home while it is still light -- travel is much safer in daylight.
What do you think? We save energy by not using electricity on lighting when it's daylight. More crime occurs under cover of darkness. Another hour of daylight allows us to do more, as well as to commute from work while it's light.
The one that had nothing to do with it is the farmer; daylight-saving time does not benefit farmers, nor was it created with farmers in mind. Now that you know the reasons for DST, make good use of that extra hour.
The Uniform Time Act was signed in 1966. At that point, areas that wanted to be excluded had to pass a state law. Those areas that do not observe DST are Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation Community of Arizona, which does observe DST -- with the exception of the Hopi Nation, within the Navajo Reservation, which does not observe time changes, according to the Greenwich Mean Time Web site); Hawaii; Virgin Islands; American Samoa; Guam. and Puerto Rico, plus most of the Eastern time-zone section of Indiana. Heloise
Fast facts
Uses for canvas totes:
UCarry travel-size grooming samples to use on a trip.
UHang one near the laundry hamper to keep fine washables separated till laundry day.
UGreat for carrying craft projects, such as knitting or crocheting.
UTake to the library to carry books you check out.
UDonate to shelters.
Dear Heloise: Every year I receive calendars from various organizations soliciting monetary gifts. Since I make my own calendars on my computer, I bundle up all the unsolicited calendars I receive and deliver them to the nearest home for senior citizens, where they are received with gratitude. One lady stated that she didn't care what day it was but enjoyed the colorful photographs and travel scenes. I thought you might like to pass this along. Albert Hartzel, Locust Grove, Va.
Sound off
Dear Heloise: Many shoe companies now sew nylon labels into the heels inside of men's shoes. Wearing these shoes is similar to walking on grains of sand. I made the mistake of buying two pairs of shoes with those labels, but never again. In order to wear the shoes, I had to buy leather liners.
Why manufacturers would ruin their expensive new shoes is beyond me. Placing these labels under the arch is a little better. Ron Steinbach, Irvine, Calif.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) HELOISE. or e-mail heloise@heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate