Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-09-25
SPEAKER WISHES TO
REFORM CALENDAR
VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS IN
vITED TO COOPERATE
M. Cannon LeGrand Of Belgium, in
Address Before international Con-
gress Of Chambers of Commerce,
Advocates Reform of Calendar.
Associated Press.

/
| Boston, Mass. Sept 24.-Brother-
hood as an essential in perfecting
trade relations and world wide peace
was dwelt upon today by Secretary
of Commerce and Labor Charles
Nagel in his address of welcome to
the visiting delegates of the Fifth
International Congress of Chambers
Of Commerce
M. Cannon LeGrand of Mons, Bel
gium. was also a speaker. He said:
"The international movement to
reform the calendar is making ex-
cellent progress. The principal pur-
pose Of the new calendar movement
is to make the months of more near
ly uniform length and to establish
a fixed date for Easter
ITO take formal action in the
matter the permanent committee has
induced the Swiss government to in
vite the various governments Of Eu-
rope to an international diplomatic
conference. The American govern
ment has not yet been sounded, be-
cause it was considered advisable
first to make sure of the official CO.
operation of the governments of Eu-
rope. Since Switzerland has no of
fetal representative at the vatican
the committee took it upon itself to
sound the attitude of the Holy See
1T is the opinion with the major
ity Of those interested in this ques-
tion, that the reform of the calendar
is not practically realizable except
with the assent Of the Holy See.
since the question was largely that
of fixing the dates of religious holi-
days. We know. from a reliable
source, that the Holy See has sub
71itted the question Of the reform Of
the calendar for the consideration
Of the congregation Of rites. 1t is
|stated further that this examination
would be quite lengthy since it
would give rise to an investigation
throughout all Christion countries.
ITO work out a calendar" contin-
ned Mr. LeGrand, 'it is essential to
bear in mind than an astronomical
year consists of 365.2422166 days.
IT being impossible to base a calen-
dar on SO elaborate number, the
vear has been heightened to 365
days and a quarter. Then, under
Pope Gregory, this lenthening has
been compensated by the dropping of
three days in the space of four CEN
turies. If, now, we again round off
the figure and bring it to exactly
I365 days, this annual shortening of
the year is compensated by the ad
dition Of one day, the 29th Of Feb
ruary, each fourth year. But 965
is not divisible by z, so that the year
is not made up of a whole number Of
weeks. 1t would be sufficient, how
ever, TO bring the number of days to
364 to adjust everything
"The basis of the refrom is the in
genious idea Of withdrawing from
the regular course of the weeks the
first day of January The first day
Of January would be New Years
Day. This day is already, accord
ing to our customs throughou TIN
civilized countries, devoted to quite
different occupations from those OF
other days of the year; it therefore
possesses a peculiar character and
deserves to be distinguished from
all other days.
"In leap year, a day would be in
terpolated, to be known as leap
day which would be placed, ac-
cording to some, after the Both of
June, OF, dtGOTulHS 10 OlHcIS at Car
nival time This, of course. is mere
detail.
"If we therefore concede that the
day following New Years Day is to
be January 1st, we can then divide
the year into four equal periods Of
three months each, each 81 days
long, and, by happy coincidence.
each of these quarters would consist
of exactly 13 weeks.
'Tt will therefore be sufficient to
consider one of these quarters to un-
derstand the whole.
'In order not to change too much
our present customs, we divide the
quarter into three months, consist
ing of 30, 30 and 81 days Only the
last month of each quarter would
have 81 days. and these 31st days
would be Sundays IL we begin the
lnuartars IN MAnday III will be