The Washington herald., 1910-10-09
REFORMING THE CALENDAR.
As Many Different Plans AfOot as
Universal Languages.

Universal Languages.
Garrett r. Serriss IN New York American.
A movement which is gathering force
among thoughtful men, purposes that this
age OF science shall initiate julius Caesar
and Pope Gregory. and once more reform
the calendar. The reasons for making
the reform are sufficiently apparent. BY
the present system the days of the week
shift along through the months with con-
tinually changing dates, and the months,
in successive years, begin on different
DAYS Of the week. The leap-year day.
which is disturbing element. IS incon-
veniently placed at the end Of February.
II would be better II il were always found
at the end OF the gear DIR. Fritz Rein
inghaus purposes TO get rid OF these in
conveniences by dividing the year into
twelve entire and two half months. the
first of twenty-eight and the latter OF
fourteen days each; the S65th day of each
ordinary year and the extra day Of the
leap year being independent and falling
invariably at the end Of the year. BY
this system every week day would have
fixed and invariable place in the cal
endar. and every month and every year
would begin on a fixed day Of the week.
Thus the week and the month would be-
come practically complete multiples. The
two half-months would be placed at the
end of the first and second halves of the
year, the first being called the summer
half-month and the second the winter
half-month.
q
still simpler system. which was origi-
mated by a Mr.. CotSworth in England a
few years ago. The proposition IS TO
divide the year into thirteen complete
months of exactly four weeks each by
inserting a midsummer month. for which
the name Of Sol is proposed. BY ceasing
TO count Christmas among the week days
and calling it simply Christmas Day. it
would furnish the extra day required for
ordinary years without disturbing the
regular succession of the others Il
would merely be counted as an extra
Sunday Leap year day would also be
counted as an extra day. and not as a
week day, and would always fall between
fixed dates. The movable festivals, such
as Easter, would be arranged to fall in
variably on certain dates. In the arrange
ment of the Gregorian calendar. which is
not in all respects an Improvement upon
the preceding Julian system. the church
men had too much voice. Their method
of fixing Easter requires almost a special
education in chronology TO be understood
by the layman, and results in very great
inconvenience on accour' ne contin-
ualy shifting position important
festival.
The COtsworth-Slocum proposition looks
more promising than the other, especially
as the introduction of one extra month.
of the same length as the others, would
produce a more uniform division Of the
year than that Of two half-months, which
would be incongruous But either would
give us months containing an exact num-
Der of weeks. a convenience that would
appeal to everybody. 1t has been pur-
posed 10 begin the reform with Christmas
Day, 1916 but the fossilized sentiment Of
conservatism is always TO be reckoned
with; so IL is very unlikely that the calen-
dar will be reformed as quickly as an
interoceanic canal can be dug.