Show BABSON'S T- T CLOCK AND CALENDAR Babson Park Mass Last months month's decision of the nations nation's leading securities exchanges es to top an hour and a half off each days day's trading session has creat- creat created created ed some pew ew problems and may have only partially solved old ones Designed to give brokerage houses and the ex ex- ex exchanges changes themselves a chance to catch tip with and keep kep abreast of a rising volume of paper paper- paperwork work the early earb closings have irked brokers and investors in California and other Coast States Time Zone Limitations The discomfiture and frust ration of California brokers who now must man their offices be be- be beginning ginning at 7 AM and work at breakneck speed to get the bulk of the days day's work done by bythe bythe the 11 AM Pacific Time closing hour of the New York exchanges may one day prove to have been a major factor in determining new hours for these exchanges Already the disenchantment disen- disen disenchantment out West has revived ed an Idea which has been toy ed with from time to time but never taken too sel seriously namely abandonment of the four continental US time zones in favor of zone two a arrange arrange- arrangement ment calculated to draw the whole nation closer together Of course a zone two system would present s some me difficulties of its own For example under such an arrangement ment Boston's winter sunrise could come after 6 AM with the sun setting in mid afternoon and the darkness of night falling before 4 PM And East Coast summertime sunrise could be as early as 3 AM with New Yorks York's only minutes later By contrast sun sun- sunrise rise and sunset times in Calif ornia w would uld be less extreme though winter sunrise could come as late as 8 AM Time Relative Not Absolute To Americans born in this century our present four zones E a s t ern e r n Central Mountain an and Pacific seem to tobe tobe be so traditional as to defy change And they may well prove to be But just to keep kep the record straight It should be acknowledged that these time zones are not ot hoary with age Only gradually did they win acceptance during the I century following the opening of transcontinental rail rail- railroad road service Before that time local option ruled with result result- resultant resultant ant confusion and frustration Holiday Weekends The idea of tinkering with time is not confined to the clock but extends also to the calendar A good many business interests catering to leisure leisure- time needs or desires are active in advocating calendar reform Other proponents stress their belief that a general overhaul of the calendar would cut costs for many businesses In very recent years the idea of calendar change has attract attract- attracted ed widespread attention a fair measure of l support but no real groundswell of assent from the public Those who want calendar reo re- reform form fall into two groups The advocates of a sweeping change which would reali realign n our months so o that each would be of uni- uni uniform uniform form length and the advocates advocat's of a plan which would reshuffle our major holidays so so that each of these would be be observed on ona on ona a Monday l to provide a three three- day weekend Time Leisure Use The day when broad agree agree- agreement meat ment on any reduction of our present time zones will be reached would appear to be some distance into the future Nor will sweeping calendar re- re reform form be enacted any time soon However support for the Mon Mon- Monday Monday day holiday idea is growing steadily in selected busine business s circles and among labor lead lead- leaders ers Despite opposition from traditionalists and from those who feel that a move toward day weekends would only compound present traffic pro pro- problems problems in the air and on the ground this is the chAnge most a a likely to become reality pos pos- possibly sibly in the early In any event we are headed for further increases In leisure time Already both summer and winter vacations are more common the number of famil ies ha having time leisure homes Is expanding and travel and camping are being brought within the reach of more and more people As our horizons broaden and our choices in in- in increase crease the focus will be on making the best use of our in creased leisure time |