CALENDAR REFORM

Otago Witness, Issue 4032, 23 June 1931, Page 5

CALENDAR REFORM

OPPOSITION FROM UNIVERSITY COUNCIL. The University Council expressed itself ' as opposed to calendar reform when a report was received from Professor Bell on a communication which the council had received on the subject from the Chamber of Commerce. Professor Bell reported that the statement on calendar reform submitted to the council consisted. principally of an enumeration of the commercial advantages that would arise from the subdivision of the year into 13 equal months of 28 days, with an added “ year day ” to make up the 365 days or two “ year days ” in a leap year. It was pointed out that the proposed arrangement would establish fixed dates for periodical meetings and functions, and for vacations and would save the expense of the annual production of fresh calendars. It would be some advantage to the University if the sessions and hours always began and ended on the same dates and if the dates of the various examinations were fixed once for all. There might be a slight saving in the expense of producing the annual calendar of the University. In the statement none of the disadvantages of the proposed change were dealt with. Two of these might be mentioned. Under the present system with 12 months in the year it was easy to calculate, the monthly salary or interest responding to any given yearly salary or annual rate of interest. With 13 months in the year very awkward fractions would be introduced into such calculations. There would b’e a tendency to avoid these by putting salaries and rates of interest on a monthly instead of on an annual basis. The change of system would also involve a want of continuity and a certain amount of confusion in historical records. When it was stated that a report had been received from Professor Bell, Mr W. J. Morrell asked if anyone would go against Professor Bell’s opinion on the question. The Chancellor (Sir Thomas Sidey) said that Professor Bell did not express a definite opinion. After the report had -been read Mr J. C. Stephens moved that a copy of the report be forwarded to the Chamber of Commerce. Sir James Allen said that the chamber had asked for the council’s opinion. He moved as an amendment that the council forward the report and express the view that the council thought it better to leave things as they were. Dr Macdonald: That won’t be binding on the British Empire.— (Laughter.) The amendment was carried.