CALENDAR CHANGE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 26 November 1927, Page 9

CALENDAR CHANGE

ADVOCATED IN UNITED STATES 13 MONTHS. 4 WEEKS EACH. A drastic change in the calendar by 1933 was urged by George Eastman, Rochester, N.Y., manufacturer, before the United States Chamber of Commerce. Mr Eastman advocated an international conference to decide :— 1. Whether the calendar should have its week-day names perpetually fixed to the same dates each year by the inclusion of an extra Sabbath in the last week of the year; or whether the quarters t>f the year should be made equal by alternating two months of 30 days and one of 31 days. 2. Whether 13 equal months of four complete weeks should be established. with a new month between June and July. 3. Whether Easter’s date should be fixed on the Sunday following the present eighth of April, and 4. Jn which year the simplified calendar is to begin. A few months ago I sent letters to more than 1000 representaive men,” Mr Eastman said. _ “The response, favouring the adoption of a new calendar, was overwhelmingly favourable.” He added that manv large firms already are using the thirteen 28-day periods in their accounting systems. “Such a change should be brought about by December, 1929. as that Is the last day. when changes mav be made for 1933. by the Greenwich and the United States Naval observatories.” He asked the Chamber to give the subject prompt and earnest consideration. “One reason for this is that it is a prime requisite for the simplified Sunday. The first available Sunday calendar to have Januarv 1 on a as New Year’s Day comes in 1933. after which no year is available until 1939. Calculations for the astron.mical tide and other tables are made about six years in advance by the British. American, French German, and Spanish Governments. In fact scientists last month began their calculations for the 'year 1933 and can incorporate them in the simplified calendar for 1933, provided the international conference agrees not later than 1929.” '