first of all, i believe that most people appreciate having an extra hour of daylight after work in the summer, to spend outside in the nice weather with family, i doubt that you would get much support on that point, the only benefit i see is motivation to go to bed relatively earlier, and the earliest risers would get up when it is light out instead of dark. also, the idea may have existed for 300 years, im not sure, but for europe and the americas, i know it to be less than 150 years, instituted at the same time as the time zones, developed to facilitate train schedules, replacing what was previously a time system based on local time of sunrise, basically different time in every time, instead of large regions.

I'd do the opposite and make daylight saving permanent without changind the clocks twice a year. I like sunshine.