Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-09-28


and weeks makes the calculation az
exchange. interest and foreclosure
subject to confusion.
! Mr. Canon-Lagrand stated that he
did not believe the proposed char sc
could be imposed upon the public but
that it must come through education,
In explaining the reform he said.
ITO work out a calendar. Ii Is es.
sentiai to bear in mind that an astrc-
nomical year consists OF S65. 2422i66
days. It being impossible to base
1 a calendar on so elaborate
number, the year has been heightened
TO S65 days and quarter Then, un-
der Pope Gregory, this lengthening
has been compensated by the drop
ping OF three days In the space Of four
centuries, II, now we again round OF
the figure and bring II to exactly 500
days. this annual shortening Of the
years is compensated by the addition
OF one day the 2ath Of FEBRUARY, each
fourth year But s65 is not diyisible
by Z, so that the year is not made up
OF weeks. 1t would be sufiicientn. how
ever. to bring the number of days TO
S64 to adjust everything
"The basis Of the reform Is the in.
genious idea OF Withdrawing from the
regular course OF the weeks the FIRST
day of January. The first OF January
would be New Years Day This day
Is already. according to our customs
throughout the civilized countries, de-
voted to different occupations from
those Of other days of the year. IL
therefore possesses a peculiar char
acter and deserves TO be distinguish
ed from all other days.
| In leap years. day would be inter-
/ polated. TO be known az Leap Day
which would be placed according to
some, after the Both Of June. or ac-
oording to others at carnival time
This, of course. is mere detail.
If we therefore concede that the
day following New Years Day Is Jan
uary LIST, we can divide the year into
four equal periods OF three months
each. each 81 days long, and by a
happy coincidence, each OF these quar-
! ters would consist of exactly 10
weeks
ut will therefore be sufficient to
consider one of these quarters to un.
derstand the whole.
I'm order not To change too much
our present customs, we divide the
quarter into three months, consisting
of 80, 30 and 81 days Only the last
month OF each quarter would have 81
days, and these 3lst days would be
Sundays II we begin the quarters on
Monday. II will be seen therefore,
that we should preserve our habit OF
speaking in half-years quarters,
months and weeks. 1t seems to us,
therefore, that there would be good
chance of persuadlng the public to
accept a modification of the present
calendar"
The following are some OF the adj
vantages TO be claimed for this "un-
changeable calendar.
In the case Of contract OF en-
ployment between employers and work
men, by the month where the con.
tract is terminated before the end OF
the month, there would be no question
as to the rate of compensation. since
each month would contain the same
number OF working days, that is 90.
The months Of 81 days would all com
prise FIVE Sundays For persons who
also worked on Sundays the daily
wage would be the thirieth part of
the monthly rate, since the year
would have eight months of thirty
days and only four I 81. AT the pre-
sent time we have seven months OF
81 days, OF 30 and one OF 20 or 20.
which arrangement does not facili-
tate calculations
In all industries or occupations
where paymet is made as rule by
the month, pay day could be set for
the Both of the month, with a certain
ty that this would never fall on a
Sunday. The same advantage would
exist for concerns which paid semi
monthly, since the 18th of the month
could never fall ON a Sunday.
Calculations of interest could be
made, as at present. taking the com
mercial year at $50 days, and this
with more justification than at pre-
sent. since the 31st days all being
Sundays, the months would thus, com
mercially speaking, consist OF 30 days
The figuring of the number of days
elapsed from the 1st of January to a
given date is likewise greatly facili-
tated.
1t should be noted that there are
other plans, such as that Of 10 months
OF % days, or that of eight months Of
rs days and four months of 80 days,
these plans being based on the prin-
ciple of having the month an exact
multiple OF the week.
I'VE viii consider all these sug-
gestions without favoring any one Of
to the detriment OF the others"
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