The Calumet news., 1912-09-24
ESTABLISH SET
DATE FOR EASTER
Movement to Reform Calendar
and Make Months Uniform

Boston. Sept 24.-The international
movement TO reform the calendar is
making excellent progress, said Louis
Cannon LeGrand today in his address
at the opening of the Fifth Interna-
tional Congress Of Chambers OF Com
merce. NJ -LeGrand, who is
president of the Congress. is also the
head of its permanent committee,
president of the Chamber of Commerce
of Mons. Belgium, and president of the
Federation of Commercial and Indus
trial Associations of that country.
The principal purpose of the new
calendar movement, he asserted was TO
make the months of more nearly uni
form length and to establish a fixed
date for Easter He pointed out the
benefit Of such a reform from bank
ing and commercial standpoint.
To take formal action in the matter.
be reported, the Permanent Committee
has induced the Swiss Government 10
invite the various governments Of Eu-
rope to an international diplomatic
The American gov yernment,
he added. has not yet been sounded,
because 1t was considered advisable
first to make sure of the official CO.
operation of the governments of Eur
ope. Since Switzerland has no official
representative at the Vatican the com
mittee took upon itself to sound the
attitude of the Holy See.
1T is of the opinion" he said, with
the majority of those interested In this
question, that the reform of the calen-
dar is not practically realizable except
with the assent of the Holy See since
the question was largely that of fixing
the dates of religious holidays. We
know. frcm a reliable source, that the
Holy See has submitted the question of
the reform of the calendar for the con-
sideration of the Congregation of Rites
II is stated further that this examina-
ton would probably be quite lengthy, |
since il would give rise to an investi- |
cation throughout all Christian coun-
tries"
'"ro work out a calendar" NJ. Cam
non LeGrand continued. "it is essential
to bear in mind that an astronomical |
year consists of S652422166 days 1t f,
being impossible to base a calendar on |
SO elaborate a number. the year has |
been heightened to 365 days and a
quarter. Then. under Pope Gregory, |,
his 'lengthening has been compensated |
)y the dropping of three days in the |
pace of four centuries. II, now, we
again round off the figure and bring IL |
10 exactly 365 days, this annual short
ming of the year is compensated by the
addition of one day. the 29th day of
each fourth year. But 365 !
S not divisible by Z, so that the year
s not made up of whole number OF
weeks. 1t would be sufficient. how
,ver, to bring the number of days to
ga to adjust everything.
The basis Of the reform Is the in
,enious idea of withdrawing from the
'egular course of the weeks the first
lay of January. The first of January
would be New Years Day. This day is
already. according to our customs
throughout the civilized countries, de-
'oted TO quite different occupations
rom those of other days of the year;
[ therefore possesses a peculiar char
lcter and deserves 10 be distinguish
ID from all other days.
I'm leap year. day would be inter-
,olated. to be known as leap day."
which would be placed. according TO
iome. after the SOth of June. or. ac-
-ording to others at carnival time.
This, of course. is a mere detail
IF we therefore concede that the
lay following New Years Day Is to be
January LIST. we can then divide the
ear into four equal periods OF three
months each. each 81 days long, and
" happy coincidence. each of these
luarters would consist of exactly i3
weeks.
1T will therefore be sufficient to
onsider one OF these quarters to un-
lerstand the whole.
In order not 10 change too much
,ur present customs. we divide the
luarter into three months, consisting
4 80. 80 and 81 days only the last
month Of each quarter would have 81