Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-14
CALENDAR REFORMS.

We are in receipt OF communica-
ton from Herr Fritz Reinighaus, of
Zurich, in which the writer recon-
mends a radical change in the calen-
dar. His proposition, briefly stated, is
that the year be divided into twelve
entire and two half months; all en-
tire months 10 consist OF rs days, and
the haif-months of IL days. The first
of the two half-months, he suggests,
can be placed at the end OF the first
half year. and might be known as
the summer half-month;" the sec
ond half-month is to follow the last
month of the year, and is to be
known as the winter half-month."
The 365th and the leap-year's day
will be placed at the end Of the year,
and will be quite Independent OF the
will neither have the name nor the
date OF weekday. The writer says:
81 had at first expressed the idea
(Which 1 thought quite new Of diVid-
ing the year into 1S months of 2S
days each; but II has come TO my
knowledge that this proposal had al
Comte. the philosopher. who died in
1857. After consideration, | would adj
wise the above mentioned division as
being more practical
What the advantages would be Of
such a reform in the calendar is not
entirely apparent.
1t is clear that each day OF the week
would In the new calendar be in its
fixed and Interchangeable place. Each
month would begin on the same week
day, this also applying to each year,
each half-year and each quarter OF
the year The division would also
make the week and month measures
Of time. because the units year" and
month would, by this means, be-
come. with an insignificant difference.
complete multiPles. always equal, OF
the time-unlt week." but whether
these advantages would compensate
for the disadvantages of a change. is
another question. Calendars may be
reformed by Caesars and popes, but
common mortals win find difficulties
not easily overcome. The reform of
the calendar at time when business
Interests were much less complicated
than they are now, was compare
lively easy matter to secular or
spiritual rulers. but II Is different In
our day. Russia still follows the an
Client style" undoubtedly for reasons
similar to those which makes England
cling 10 pounds, shillings and pence,
and America. as well as England, TO
the ward stick Radical changes af-
fecting business are not easily made.
Julius Caesar was a great calendar
reformer. In his day II was found
necessary to interpolate year of AS
days in order to bring the vernal
oquinox back TO the date of March "a
where IL had been 700 years before his
reign Al the same time the Roman
year Was divided into i2 months in
stead Of TO- and into 1851 days. It
was also found necessary TO add a day
every fourth year.
In Caesars year the months had the
number of days they have now, except
that August had 80 days and February
90 in ordinary years and 80 In leap
years. The month OF July was named
for Julius Caesar and the next month
for Augustus Caesar. Augustus thought
that he ought 20 have as long month
as Julius and ne therefore took day
from February and added Il 20 Au-
gust. This was his little reform OF
the calendar.
BY the time Gregory the Great be-
came pope. there was an error of sew
eral days in the calendar, owing TO
the fact that julius Caesar had omitted
10 provide for the correction OF an
error Of IL minutes ioSs seconds OF