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Show THE WASTE OF INEFFICIENCY IN these days of fervid commercial and individual competition, when efficiency is the watchword of H each individual and of nations, it is embarrassing H to consider the many inefficient methods and customs M which seem to have been "wished on" to us by a less M enlightened generation, and which we seemingly lack M the courage and hardihood to discard, merely because B we have become accustomed to them. Among such m is our present system of weights and measures, the M "universal" typewriter keyboard, which has no jus- M trfication other than its priority and general use; and M now, at this opportune time of the year our attention M is directed to another glaring inefficiency of practic- H ally universal adoption. We refer to our present cal- B endar system. We have often tried to figure out the M reason of our present division of time into months M and ascribe a reasonable explanation therefor, but H could not. And neither, dear reader, can you, in our M opinion. In fact it is claimed by certain experts that H our present calendar is a "ferocious mess," and we M believe he is right. A more inconvenient arrangement B could hardly be conceived. There is no regularity in H its construction and its months are of several differ- M ent lengths. M We certainly should have a better method of H measuring time, and we believe that such a calendar M system is offered to us by the American Equal Month H Calendar Association, with headquarters at 400 Onei- B da Building, Minneapolis, Minn. They propose what m is designated as the New Liberty Calendar, and is H formed as follows : M First New Year Day becomes an independent m legal holiday. It is not included in any week or M month. M Second another independent legal holiday called fl "Correction Day" is provided for leap years. It is M not included in any week or month. B Third the remaining 365 days are divided into B 13 months of exactly four weeks each, every month M commencing with Monday. m Neither the length nor the number of our months m is governed by the moon or any natural law, hence B they can be changed as we see fit. The months in M this new form are January, February, Liberty, March, H H The use of the word "Liberty" for the new month B proposed is especially fitting, in more ways than one. H The advantages of this form cannot be overesti- HH mated. The saving of time and mental effort would B be immense. All holidays and anniversies would al- B ways fall on the same day of the week. A pomissory H note given for any number of weeks, months and B years would always come due on the same day of the B week it was given. The plan also provides that Good B Friday, Laster Sunday and Thanksgiving shall always be observed on certain fixed dates. B Under the arrangement of the Liberty calendar, B you business men would set a definite date for your HH board meetings, for city council meetings, for var- B ious club and religious meetings, such as occur only H once or twice a month. The discrepancy in pay rolls HB of employees who work by the week or month, D which are frequently bone of contention- would be jH entirely done away with, and the keeping of the ex- M pense accounts in many establishments greatly sim- WB plified. H This improved form of calendar has been ap- K proved by the highest authorities. It could be adopt Hfl ed to take effect on Sunday, the first day of the year WM 1922, and the change would cause scarcely any jar Hi or friction whatever. A bill has already been introduced in Congress. If the proposition appeals to you favorably, write a ', letter to your Congressman asking him to favor it. This reform will benefit every man, woman and child. It would be impossible to estimate the saving in dollars and cents that this new form of calendar would effect to the people of the world. But take it in the United States alone. Of our I 10.000,000 of people, we will estimate that 75 millions are engaged in some form of labor, and that the use of the present inconvenient calendar costs them only one day's time each year; in many instances it will,waste a week or more of persoW time engaged in certain lines of employment. em-ployment. But taking one day only as the average of waste from this source, and estimating that the average value of these persons' time is $2.00 per day, it would represent a saving of $1 50,000,000 annually an-nually in the United States alone. Surely this is an item worth considering. . The American Equal Month Calendar Association which is trying to put this reform into effect is asking ask-ing for members. One dollar pays for an annuaul membership and lots of printed matter on the question. ques-tion. All receipts are to be used for publicity work. Bhj |