| The Calder Act (1918) and early amendments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first law standardizing observance of time in the United States. While daylight saving time was defined there was no explicit requirement that the standard time defined in the law be followed. Prior to this law there was no federal regulation of time zones. Each state or community would choose their own definition of time, historically based on "high noon". After November 18th, 1883, the railroads in the US and Canada coordinated time based on astronomical time at the longitudes noted and most communities followed "railroad time". As noted in the law, the Interstate Commerce Commission was tasked with defining the limits of each time zone, which were primarily based on railroads instead of county lines. However, there were two amendments that ordered the ICC to change the division lines. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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To save daylight and to provide standard time for the United States. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of establishing the standard time of the United States, the territory of continental United States shall be divided into five zones in the manner hereinafter provided. The standard time of the first zone hall be based on the mean astronomical time of the seventy-fifth degree of longitude west from Greenwich; that of the second zone on the ninetieth degree; that of the third zone on the one hundred and fifth degree; that of the fourth zone on the one hundred and twentieth degree; and that of the fifth zone, which shall include only Alaska, on the one hundred and fiftieth degree. That the limits of each zone shall be defined by an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission, having regard for the convenience of commerce and the existing junction points and division points of common carriers engaged in commerce between the several States and with foreign nations, and such order may be modified from time to time. (Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, §1, 40 Stat. 450) Sec. 2. That within the respective zones created under the authority hereof the standard time of the zone shall govern the movement of all common carriers engaged in commerce between the several States or between a State and any of the Territories of the United States, or between a State or the Territory of Alaska and any of the insular possessions of the United States or any foreign country. In all statutes, orders, rules, and regulations relating to the time of performance of any act by any officer or department of the United States, whether in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of the Government, or relating to the time within which any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, it shall be understood and intended that the time shall be the United States standard time of the zone within which the act is to be performed. (Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, §2, 40 Stat. 450) Sec. 3. That at two o’clock antemeridian of the last Sunday in March of each year the standard time of each zone shall be advanced one hour, and at two o’clock antemeridian of the last Sunday in October in each year the standard time of each zone shall, by the retarding of one hour, be returned to the mean astronomical time of the degree of longitude governing said zone, so that between the last Sunday in March at two o’clock antemeridian and the last Sunday in October at two o’clock antemeridian in each year the standard time in each zone shall be one hour in advance of the mean astronomical time of the degree of longitude governing each zone, respectively. (Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, §3, 40 Stat. 450) Sec. 4. That the standard time of the first zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Eastern Time; that of the second zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Central Time; that of the third zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Mountain Time; that of the fourth zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Pacific Time; and that of the fifth zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Alaska Time. (Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, §4, 40 Stat. 450) Sec. 5. That all Acts and parts of Acts in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. Approved, March 19, 1918. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 3 of the Act entitled "An Act to save daylight and to provide standard time for the United States," approved March 19, 1918, is hereby repealed, effective on the last Sunday of October, 1919, after the approval of this Act, when by the retarding of one hour the standard time of each zone shall be returned to and thereafter be the mean astronomical time of the degree of longitude governing, each zone as defined in section 1 of said Act approved March 19, 1918. Approved, August 20, 1919. to the United States standard central time zone. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Panhandle and Plains section of Texas and Oklahoma be, and the same are hereby, transferred to and placed within the United States standard central time zone. The Interstate Commerce Commission is hereby authorized and directed to issue an order placing the western boundary line of the United States standard central time zone in so far as the same affect Texas and Oklahoma as follows: Beginning at a point where such western boundary time zone line crosses the State boundary line between Kansas and Oklahoma; thence westerly along said State boundary line to the northwest corner of the State of Oklahoma; thence in a southerly direction along the west State boundary line of Oklahoma and the west State boundary line of Texas to the southeastern corner of the State of New Mexico; thence in a westerly direction along the State boundary line between the States of Texas and New Mexico to the Rio Grande River; thence down the Rio Grande River as the boundary line between the United States and Mexico: Provided, That the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway Company and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company may use Tucumcari, New Mexico, as the point at which they change from central to mountain time and vice versa; the Colorado Southern and Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Companies may use Sixela, New Mexico, as such changing point; the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company and other branches of the Santa Fe System may use Clovis, New Mexico, as such changing point, and those railways running into or through El Paso may use El Paso as such point: Provided further, That this Act shall not, except as herein provided, interfere with the adjustment of time zones as established by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Sec. 2. That all laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. Approved, March 4, 1921. “An Act to save daylight and to provide standard time for the United States,” as amended. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That an Act entitled “An Act to save daylight and to provide standard time for the United States,” approved March 19, 1918, as amended, be, and the same hereby is, further amended by adding thereto after section 2 and before section 4, an additional section to be known as section 3, as follows: “Sec. 3. In the division of territory, and in the definition of the limits of each zone, as hereinbefore provided, so much of the State of Idaho as lies south of the Salmon River, traversing the State from east to west near forty-five degrees thirty minutes latitude shall be embraced in the third zone.” Approved, March 3, 1923. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 §261. SEC. 1 That, for the purpose of establishing the standard time of the United States, the territory of continental United States shall be divided into five zones in the manner hereinafter provided. The standard time of the first zone hall be based on the mean astronomical time of the seventy-fifth degree of longitude west from Greenwich; that of the second zone on the ninetieth degree; that of the third zone on the one hundred and fifth degree; that of the fourth zone on the one hundred and twentieth degree; and that of the fifth zone, which shall include only Alaska, on the one hundred and fiftieth degree. That the limits of each zone shall be defined by an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission, having regard for the convenience of commerce and the existing junction points and division points of common carriers engaged in commerce between the several States and with foreign nations, and such order may be modified from time to time. (Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, §1, 40 Stat. 450.) §262. SEC. 2 That within the respective zones created under the authority hereof the standard time of the zone shall govern the movement of all common carriers engaged in commerce between the several States or between a State and any of the Territories of the United States, or between a State or the Territory of Alaska and any of the insular possessions of the United States or any foreign country. In all statutes, orders, rules, and regulations relating to the time of performance of any act by any officer or department of the United States, whether in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of the Government, or relating to the time within which any rights shall accrue or determine, or within which any act shall or shall not be performed by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, it shall be understood and intended that the time shall be the United States standard time of the zone within which the act is to be performed. (Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, §2, 40 Stat. 451.) §263. SEC. 3 That at two o’clock antemeridian of the last Sunday in March of each year the standard time of each zone shall be advanced one hour, and at two o’clock antemeridian of the last Sunday in October in each year the standard time of each zone shall, by the retarding of one hour, be returned to the mean astronomical time of the degree of longitude governing said zone, so that between the last Sunday in March at two o’clock antemeridian and the last Sunday in October at two o’clock antemeridian in each year the standard time in each zone shall be one hour in advance of the mean astronomical time of the degree of longitude governing each zone, respectively. (Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, §3, 40 Stat. 451; Repealed Aug. 20, 1919, ch.51, 41 Stat. 280.) In the division of territory, and in the definition of the limits of each zone, as hereinbefore provided, so much of the State of Idaho as lies south of the Salmon River, traversing the State from east to west near forty-five degrees thirty minutes latitude shall be embraced in the third zone. (Mar. 3, 1923, ch. 210, §1, 42 Stat. 1434.) §264. SEC. 4 That the standard time of the first zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Eastern Time; that of the second zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Central Time; that of the third zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Mountain Time; that of the fourth zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Pacific Time; and that of the fifth zone shall be known and designated as United States Standard Alaska Time. (Mar. 19, 1918, ch. 24, §4, 40 Stat. 451.) §265. SEC. 5 That the Panhandle and Plains section of Texas and Oklahoma be, and the same are hereby, transferred to and placed within the United States standard central time zone. The Interstate Commerce Commission is hereby authorized and directed to issue an order placing the western boundary line of the United States standard central time zone in so far as the same affect Texas and Oklahoma as follows: Beginning at a point where such western boundary time zone line crosses the State boundary line between Kansas and Oklahoma; thence westerly along said State boundary line to the northwest corner of the State of Oklahoma; thence in a southerly direction along the west State boundary line of Oklahoma and the west State boundary line of Texas to the southeastern corner of the State of New Mexico; thence in a westerly direction along the State boundary line between the States of Texas and New Mexico to the Rio Grande River; thence down the Rio Grande River as the boundary line between the United States and Mexico: Provided, That the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway Company and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company may use Tucumcari, New Mexico, as the point at which they change from central to mountain time and vice versa; the Colorado Southern and Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Companies may use Sixela, New Mexico, as such changing point; the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company and other branches of the Santa Fe System may use Clovis, New Mexico, as such changing point, and those railways running into or through El Paso may use El Paso as such point: Provided further, That this Act shall not, except as herein provided, interfere with the adjustment of time zones as established by the Interstate Commerce Commission. (Mar. 4, 1921, ch. 173, §1, 41 Stat. 1446.)
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