Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JAN. 3, 1927. REFORM OF THE CALENDAR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16230, 3 January 1927, Page 6

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JAN. 3, 1927. REFORM OF THE CALENDAR

_ Tho League of Nations, in its desire to bring the nations into harmony and co-operation, is pursuing many activities, and amongst them has been a serious attempt to revise the calendar. A special Committee •sot up in 1924, has just furnished its report, which proves to be a very interesting document. After examining 185 schemes, submitted by thirty-three different countries, and after sending detailed questionnaires to fifty-six stales, members of tho League, and to religions authorities and business circles throughout tho world, the Committee has formed a clear impression that public opinion is not yet prepared, even if it welcomes reform, to press for immediate action in a particular direction. Accordingly the only, definite recommendation made in its report, is that thoso who are principally interested in the subject should go on. tilling the ground, and if possible compose their differences, which are still acute. According to tho Committee, the main and undisputed defects of the present Gregorian Calendar ar© tho inequality of its months, quarters, and half-years, and its want of fixity. This is a cause of confusion and uncertainly in economic relations, statistics, accouuts, and commercial and transport figures, which probably gives justification for tho Leuguo's interference in the matter. In the opinion of tho Committee, "the attention of tho public, on whose approval any reform of the calendar must depend, should bo directed exclusively (in order that it may understand their respective advantages and disadvantages) to the fundamental principles of threj main groups of reform. '' As tho year consists of fifty-two weeks, or 364 days, plus one extra day (two-in leap year), the question confronting all schemes of reform is what to do with this extra day (tho 365th). Tho first of the throe main groups of reform selected by the Committee endeavors to cause the least possible disturbance to existing habits and customs by equalising three of tho four quarters of the year. Thus, each of the first three quarters might consist of 01 days, or three months of 30, 30. 31 days. The extra day (the 365th) would be added to the fourth quarter. Tho second group would divide the year into four equal quarters of 91 each, each quarter consisting of three months of 30, 30, 31 days (as with the first three quarters of the First Group). The extra day of tho year (tho 365th) would lio counted outside tho week. It might bo called New Year's Day and precede January 1, while L'Oap-Year-day might precede July 1. in this way all quarters and half-years are equal. Each month can contain tho same number of working days. The third group would divide tho year into thirteen months of twenty-eight days, or four weeks each, making a total of fifty-two weeks, or .'Hit days, to which is added a blank day (the 3G. r )th day) outside the week. As in tho second group, this blank day might bo inserted between the twentyeighth day of the thirteenth month and the first day of the first month, or at some other time, Such a calendar would be o perpetual one, as the days of tho week would fall on the same dates each month. That is to say, if Sunday were January 1, it would also be the first of each month in every year. All the months are equal, and have tho same number of weeks, working days, and Sundays. In tho words of tho committee, "generally speaking, and considering only tho intrinsic value of the last two main groups, the thirteenth month system would seem to bo of greater utility from the point of view of statistics and commerce, if the month, rather than the quarter is to be taken as the unit of economic life. The Iwolve months system would be preferable in the other contingency. Tho enquiries made go to show that the various Governments are more favorable to tho twelve-month system,' which would cause less disturbonce to established custom. Most commercial organisations seem to take tho same view. An increasing number

(British railways and many American organisations), however, seem to favor tho thirteenth month system, particularly those which are already using it as an auxiliary calendar and have been able to gauge its results." It has been suggested that it is probable there are sufficient, superstitiousi people in the world with a living i dread of the number "13" to oppose the calendar being reformed on this principle, and difficulty would certainly arise over the choice of the new month's name if thirteen was the number decided on. The Daily Telegraph reminds us that Great Britain | did not come into line with the Con- 1 tincnt for a century and a half, and when tho "Act for Evgulating tho Commencement of the Year" was at length passed in 1753 the British people roared their disapproval and shouted, ''Give us back the eleven days we have been robbed of!" Russia, moreover, has not come into line even to this day, and it is hard to conceive her present rulers accepting a new calendar from Capitalist nations. The Mohammedan Calendar, again, is different from both, but to the mathematician this presents no difficulty. In the second part, of its report, tho Committee deals with the question of a fired date for Easter, which at present varies between March 22 and April 25, i.e., over a period of thirty-five days. Replies reeoived by the Committee show that this has an unfavorable influence on a number of industries, in particular men and women's clothing, boot and shoe, leather, and tourist industries. It also interferes with the absolute regularity of the scholastic, year. It is stated'that not long since the Vatican, which hitherto had been the principal opponent of change, issued a pronouncement to the effect that it was ready to change its attitude. That part of the general problem of Calendar Reform might well bo dealt with independently of the rest, if the nations are slow to make up their mind to agreement on the main question. The League Committee's proposal is that Easter should be fixed on the Sunday following the second Saturday in April. At present under a system, beyond the comprehension of 'all but theologians and mathematicians, it varies between March 2, and April 25—a period of tlnrty-five ( - <(pi a in folk, who try to find a way through tho maze, get hopelessly lest among the Dominical Letters and the Solar and Lunar Cycles—not to mention the Cycle of Indication-and oven when they think they have found the Golden Number they scarce know what to do with it. We should be aide to be as sure of Easter as of Christmas." .