The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-19
Frederick Haskin's Letter
A NeuU Calendar.

! ming to confer at Roma nav. -.
to make Easter Sunday a fixad 49,
and perhaps to discuss Other :,
proFements in the calendar
II one important counfrv -,
radical changes in its way Of re-
oning time, other progressive w "a
tons, it is claimed. would undo- 1s'
eddy follow suit It is not tbon-S,
that there would be anv diFo,,9.-1
in getting the important conn1-is ,s
of Europe to agree on A cbs.es
from the Gregorian system IN scr-ss7
thing better. The details sucs y
holidays and names need MOI
the same in different countries bD.
there should be some agreemsn, ~
to the arrangement of DAYS. wssS -
and months.
Efforts at Calendar Refern
IL is recognized abroad as w,u
as in this country. that the Crsso
rian calendar is not the most co1
venient possible. Beginning -
1906, Europe has had bills and con
ventionS on the subject of calands-
reform. Recently = commission nv
the reform of the calendar has has1
put to work again The FIVE mem
hers are from Belgium. Franc
Great Britain, Holland and M
United States
Mr.. SChall thinks that if congress
set the example in passing the lib-
erty calendar bill and fixing 1895
as the year TO start the new svs-
TEN, other countries would fall in
line promptly.
The only other calendar which
has received serious consideration
o flate is a Swiss invention. This
provides Il months of 81 days each.
AS we understand this calendar, the
months would not be alike. as in
the liberty calendar. That is. the
18th of January would not fall On
the same day of the week as the
18th of February or March. Every
year, however, the 18th of January
would fall on the same week.
From this. it can easily be seen
that the Swiss calendar is not 50
simple as the American plan. and
does not do away with the neces-
sity for consulting guide in cal
cuIating dates.
Representative SchaIl. who is
blind, SAYS whimsiCally that the
simple calendar would be useful
to him because he would no longer
have to bother his secretary to look
I'D dates for him THAT is some
thing I am always asking her to
do now" he said.
He reminded US that a change in
the calendar is not so great and
unprecedented a step as some per-
sons think. 1t is less than 200
wears since this country adopted
its p-esenet system. George Wash
ington was born under the old Ju-
liam calendar, which placed his
birthday II days earlier than it
now stands
The GregoFian calendar has grad
ualIy replaced the Julian in most
civilized countries. Old Russia
never made the change, but soyie.
Russia has. China and Japan use
the prevailing system.
If the change to the liberty cal
endar were made in 1922 OF 1928.
or following any year ending on
Saturday or Sunday, it would be
easy enough to slip from one sys-
tenn to the other and begin the new
year on Monday II the change
were made after a year ending on
Saturday. New Years day could be
observed as Sunday to complete
the week.
1t is now too late to establish
the new calendar by the first OF
next year. But Representative
SchalI thinks that the matter should
be discussed and other countries
consulted and action taken now. SO
that the civilized world would be
ready for the change at the next
convenient time. 1928.
IF the people would stop 10
think about it." says Nj Schai.
end If they would write 10 the
chairman of the judiciary commit
tee expressing their wishes and in
terest, we would soon have a cal
endar that compares with the steam
tractor and not with the pillow.