Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-01-01

intcrcalary system, or leap year, and
reapportion the extra days So that
there would be only thirty-onc OF these
bisextiles in the course of l2S years.
The effect Of this would be to keep the
calendar so correct with the sun that
the difference would not amount to
more than a day in 100000 years, or
less than second in one year.
Another plan has been suggested
lately, by which the year is to he made
up of thirteen months; twelve OF
twenty-eight days and one of twenty
nine, with thirty in leap years. This, of
itself, would not make the correction
already referred to, which could still
be made in the proportion of thirty
one days to 12S years; but it has adj
vantages of simplicity which recon-
ment it in measure. The effect
would be that if January l were on
Monday, every Monday would fall on
the LIST, Sth, 18th, and 22d; every
Tuesday on the Cd, 9th, 10Th, and 23d ;
every Sunday on the It'll, 14th, 2lst
and 2Sth. The same day would always
fall on the same date, but we would
have to find new names for the two
extra days in the last month or the
days would not fall on the same day
the following year. Unless there is to
be uniformity it would not be worth
while making the change.
One consequence of the change
would be that the month would be
more nearly in accord with the moon
than it is now. The moons year has
only 354 days, and passes through the
circle of seasons in thirty-four lunar
years. While there is no possible
division of time which will be in per-
feet harmony with both sun and moon,
the thirteenth month is as good
division as any, assuming that the
week is to continue to be seven days.
The popular view of the subject
must be taken into account. 1t took
nearly eight hundred years to get at
tentiOn to the need of the last change,
and nearly one hundred years of agita-
ton before it was adopted. There is
no force on earth, perhaps, that could
lengthen the week or abolish the Sun
day of the seventh day to one of the
tenth. The proposition to make
thirteen months will, too, be regarded
by many as flying in the face of fate
No weddings would take place in the
new month, and births would be
with apprehension.
If the reform could be effected,
however, it would be simplification
we'll worth adopting. The system to
be complete would have to recognize
the needs of the world in nomenclature.
Our own clumsy adoption of part of
the Roman names has resulted in
October, November and
December, giving the names seven,
eight, nine and ten to the ninth, tenth,
and twelfth months. We
need not be sticklers, but for the last
month of the year Ultima would be a
good name, and since nearly all the
civilized nations have resorted to the
planets for names of days, Neptuneday
would be u good one for the thirteenth
day of the extra month and Uranaday
for the leap year day.
"What day of the month is it?"
would never again be puzzle; and
when once we had calculated our
by the new system We would
be safe, and could easily make the
change in time an excuse for forgetting |
the birthdays of people who pointedly |
manifest expectations of presents.
When hard times come again, as
they will in the cycles, we could start |
a new political party with a platform
upon u return to the months
Of our grandmothers, and point back |
to the prosperous times the nation had
when we counted twelve months to |
the year and the annual was on a |
parity with the quarters.