Show You'd Only Need to Buy Buya a Calendar Once In Your Life-If Life We Used World Model Any Date Always Falls on Same Day Of Week Every Year YearBy By ELLIOTT PINE Released by Western Vestern Newspaper Union New Years Year's day falls on Saturday Saturday Sat Sat- t- t this year If it hadn't been for Hitler and the ambitions ambitions ambitions ambi ambi- of Japan New Years Year's day might be Sunday this year and next year in fact it would be Sunday every year Back in 1931 the League of Nations Nations Nations Na Na- began to talk about calendar reform During the next four years there was much talk but at last two plans emerged from the welter One was the month 13 year and the theother theother theother other the World Calendar In the World Calendar New Years Year's day is always on a Sunday If it were not not for the war the League would still be functioning and the World Calendar Calendar Cal Cal- might be in use by now So Hitler is responsible for wrecking or at least sidetracking calendar reform But the calendar can wait Time goes on and a better way of measuring measuring measuring meas meas- it can be adopted at some future time Of the two schemes the World Calendar seems to be the themore themore themore more favored as it does not break Violently with custom and tradition I as the month 13 calendar does Principal advantages of the World Calendar are arc first it is perpetual that is any date in any year is always always al al- al- al ways the same day of the week Second every quarter is the same in length and arrangement Third the months are almost the same length eight have 30 days and four 31 days Every month has 26 week days How v It Works The World Calendar is based on the idea of equal quarters Each three month period contains the same number of days 91 The first month of each quarter has 31 days the other two 30 So January April July and October are day 31 months the other eight each have 30 days To accomplish this rearrangement it is necessary only to change seven days in the familiar pattern The first is in February That peculiar month gets two additional days These two days are the of May fay and of August which are taken taken taken tak tak- en off oft these two months leaving them therm each an even 30 days Then the of March is sliced off and put onto April Lastly December 31 becomes Year End day which has no number on the new calendar This Year End day is the really brilliant feature of the World Cal Cal- The day is the one that throws every attempt to formulate formulate formu formu- late an evenly divisible year into chaos By calling the last day of the year Year End day and making making mak mak- making ing it an extra Saturday the problem problem problem lem is pretty well solved One other difficulty the additional day of leap years as 1944 is must be taken care of some way This is done by adding a day to June In leap years th the last week yeek of June would have two Saturdays This Year End day seems somewhat fantastic the first time it itis itis itis is thought about but it is no more difficult in prin principle than turning back or advancing your watch an anho ho hour when heh y you cr cross ss orte oxe of the time belts or picking up or losing losing losing los los- ing a whole day at the International International l D Date 1 line i. i out tL in the I r r lUU L JL nui nOI ut ue De to get accustomed to the change It is only about 60 years years- since the the- Standard time system was adopted The difficulties as well as the advantages of Standard Standrd time are now taken for granted Right now we are living Under under under un un- der a temporary disturbance of this system called War Saving Time which inconveniences inconveniences incon incon- inconveniences many despite its benefits The Year End day would fit in much easier easi easi- er than it seems at first glance Advantages of the World Calendar are several First the calendar is perpetual that is any particular date in any year would always fallon fall fallon fallon on the same day Thus for instance May 21 would always always always al al- al- al ways fall on Tuesday no matter what the year It would be Tuesday in 1950 1976 1949 or any other year Fourth of July would always be Wednesday Christmas day always Monday April Fools' Fools day always would fall fallon fallon fallon on Sunday This is what is meant by a perpetual cal cal- Even leap year does not throw the tile World Calendar out of joint as the extra day is fitted in as asa asa asa a numberless or intercalary day like Year-End Year day Year Leap-Year day dayis is an extra Saturday too Next in importance probably is the fact that every quarter of every every every ev ev- ev- ev ery year would contain the same number of days 91 91 making calculations calculations calculations lations of oj interest rent comparative comparative comparative tive production and so forth much easier Each month would have 26 week days so direct comparisons of months as equal working periods would be possible Thirty day months would have four Sundays day 31 months five Sundays so the extra day would not be a working day anyhow Holidays insofar as L' L o a y 4 4 9 An Inca calendar made of hammered hammered hammered ham ham- gold found in Peru The symbols symbols symbols sym sym- i bols around the rim are supposed to I represent the months Many ancient I peoples devised fairly satisfactory calendars often having the year ear divided divided divided di di- di- di vided into 12 day 30 periods The five days left at the end of the year were special days sometimes feasts sometimes unlucky or evil days possible would be celebrated on Saturdays Sundays and Mondays Holidays at least in the United States would fit into the week-ends week rather conveniently Christmas the of December would always be beon beon beon on Monday giving most working people a 2 or three-day three holi holi- day The new holiday Year End day being an extra Saturday on the end of December would lengthen length length- en the New Years Year's week-end week for New Years Year's day would be Sunday always Labor day would fall on Monday September 4 every year I providing a nice long week The disruption of holidays in the middle of the week would be done away with Thanksgiving day could be moved to Monday November 20 if it were thought necessary or Monday the Washington's birthday could be celebrated on Saturday the of February the original date before before before be be- fore the adjustment of 1752 which brought it to the So vario various s other holidays observed in different sections and states could be moved to the nearest Monday Saturday or Sunday Churches in Favor Church councils and synods have gone on record as favorable to the World Calendar as well as a fixed date for Easter Between 1931 and 1936 the Episcopal church the Presbyterian Presbyterian Pres Pres- Presbyterian the United Lutheran and the Methodist Episcopal of the South to name a few have all passed resolutions endorsing calendar calendar calen calen- dar reform and a fixed Easter The TheRoman TheRoman TheRoman Roman Catholic church while making making making mak mak- ing no formal declara declaration on of approval al has stated that no dogmatic d dif difficulties exist Eighteen Catholic bishops and archbishops throughout the world are members of the World Calendar association The Eastern Orthodox church through the Pa Pa- of Constantinople has endorsed endorsed endorsed en en- the plan Little religious opposition opposition opposition op op- op- op position has been shown or is anticipated anticipated anticipated an an- to the World Calendar in fact Business men want some kind of ol calendar reform The TRe difficulties of computing interest making comparisons comparisons comparisons of periods keeping inventories inventories inventories ries and other accounting problems are much complicated by the irregularities irregularities irregUlarities of the months A few businesses busi bus nesses use 52 weeks divided into 13 periods of 28 days or four even weeks But this month 13 calendar it is thought would never be adaptable adaptable adaptable adapt adapt- able to general use for many reasons reasons rea rca sons some traditional and sentimental sentimental sentimental senti senti- mental but real nevertheless In any case the International Chamber Chamber Chamber Cham Cham- ber of Commerce went on record in 1933 as favoring the World Calendar Calen Calen- dar or a similar ulan plan Lawyers Like It The legal profession also has endorsed endorsed endorsed en en- the World orld Calendar through action at a conference of the American Ameri Amen can Bar association in 1931 Lawyers Lawyers Law Law- are particularly anxious for the complications of the present calendar calendar calen calen- calendar dar to be ironed out according to spokesmen Social activities would be easier with the World Calendar in use as invitations would then be dated accurately accurately accurately ac ac- ac- ac more often than now now People People Peo Peo- pie would not be arriving on the wrong day so frequently Practically Practically Practically cally everybody in fact would benefit benefit benefit bene bene- fit by a simplified calendar farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers merchants housewives scientists scientists scientists schoolteachers and everyone else Publishers of calendars would be the only losers Leaders of every important nation have endorsed the calendar reform most of them advocating the World Calendar or some similar month 12 quarter equal-quarter plan In June 1931 a special League of Nations committee committee com corn after due consideration had trimmed proposed reformed calendars calendars calendars cal cal- down to two One was the month 13 calendar The other was the month 12 perpetual equal ter tel scheme known in the United States as the World Calendar Delegates Delegates Dele Dele- gates of six nations leaned toward the month 13 plan Most speakers stated that the people they represented represented would wish to retain a 12 month calendar from custom and religious reasons and that in their opinion to month 13 calendar calendar cal cal- a change a would be too drastic to gain gam wide acceptance In the end the question of reform was laid aside for further study Must 1 Wait on New League In the the League of Nations steadily lost power and prestige and with the outbreak of the European war the only international body capable of putting the World Calendar Calen dar into effect disappeared It must be remembered that a new or reformed reformed re reo formed calendar would have to have world-wide world acceptance The world has grown too small as has often been said lately for na nations to go their ways independently Air travel trav tray el will demand uniformity It may be that the Peace Conference Conference Confer Confer- Conference ence everybody is looking forward to will give this calendar reform matter consideration and perhaps in the postwar period of eagerness for improvements some new League may be able to have the reformed calendar adopted Sw Swift t action will willbe willbe willbe be necessary however as the next chance to slip the World Calendar into use without a ripple will be January 1 I 1950 If much time is spent i in arguing and ratifying the opportunity for a smooth transition will pass again |