CALENDAR REFORM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 237, 7 October 1936, Page 8

CALENDAR REFORM

BENEFIT TO TRADE CHANGE"ADVOCATED WELLINGTON, Oct. 6. Claiming that a year of four equal quarters and with a fixed Easter would be advantageous to commerce, supporters of calendar reform brought a remit before the Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire to-day. The remit, which was moved by Mr R. L. Barclay (London) was as follows: — “The congress, whilst reaffirming the resolutions adopted at previous congresses emphasising the great benefits which would accrue to trade and commerce from a fixed date for Easter, is convinced that the attainment of this obiect can best be achieved as part of a general reform of the calendar. The inefficiency of the present svstem is obvious when it is realised that the same quarters are not comparable for statistical purposes from year to year owing to the varying number of working days in them.” Mr Barclay said that the remit had been before the congress on several occasions, but there was a general desire that H should be kept under the notice of the authorities, especially as New Year’s Day in 1939 fell on a Sundav. and was an ideal date to inaugurate the reform. There was a large amount of conservatism to be overcome, and it was necessary to keep hammering at their objective. The proposed calender nrovided for four equal quarters of 91 days each, instead of unequal quarters, and two enual instead of unenual divisions. Easter Sundav would be fixed as the second Sunday in Anril. Each year would begin on a Sundav and .end on a Saturday. There would be four quarters of 13 weeks each, plus one extra d?v. which would be a blank day. anH. all honed, a holiday. That dav would fall bar 30 and January 1. The problem of the blank dav sho’flH not wo™.those who had travelled round the world as thev had to add a dav v r hen travelling from west to east and drop a dav wh«r. m nv ing in the other direction. Generallv. the religious orgpnisat’nns: the reform.

Dr. E. P. Neale (Auckland! *ald that the Jews and Seventh Dav Adventists objected the change, and it was lust a question to hovfar the rights of the minority should be considered. It mmht be possible to fix Easter without carrying out tne change. Mr A. G. Lunn (Auckland) asked what would hannen to the birthday of a person born on the blank day. (Laughter). The resolution was carried unanimously.