Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-10
New Calendar Wins Friends,
But Debate Still Continues

With the beginning of 1880 attention
is turned to the projected new calendar
which awaits the action of the principal
nations of the world. An old resolution
in Congress and an international con-
ference are debated, while the advocates
of the 13-month year are encouraged
by reports that numerous business
houses of the country have put the new
form to experimental use in conducting
their affairs.
Congress, at this session." advises the
Buffalo Evening News, "well might con-
slider the Porter resolution to provide
authority and funds for American par
ticipation in the projected international
conference at Geneva this year. to con-
slider the advisability of calendar re-
form. Such action of Congress would
not be definite commitment to a
change" The Evening News suggests
that several hundred American COIL
Germs now are using the reformed
calendar for business" but that until
all business houses adopt it, the plan
cannot be of great practical value"
The Atlanta Constitution adds that
'such a conference, participated in by
representatives of every civilized nation
in the world, would undoubtedly crystal
lie public interest in the early subStitu-
ton of the 13-month calendar, or some
other more efficient instrument, for the
archaic calendar now being used.
"Some day." predicts the San Fran
cisco Chronicle, I'VE will throw away
our present clumsy method of dividing
the year, this crazy quilt of ancient
Roman mythology, and substitute a
simple calendar of equal months,
with their week days falling on
the same dates. This will be a
calendar in line with modern efficiency.
The modernized calendar is bound to
come. So also is daylight saving. Neither
can be held back indefinitely, because
both are simple common sense. The
now. They wait only because the
human mass is slow to translate its
opinions into action. Both will come,
and then we will marvel that we waited
SO long"
"Innumerable organizations have IA
vored the change" according to the
Duluth Herald, 1.-THE United States
Chamber of Commerce, with its power
full business associations, heading the
list. but the inertia of habit has up to
this time prevented anything being
done" The Butte Daily Post quotes the
firms using this plan as maintaining
that it makes for better comparison Of
business volume year by year. With
every month having the same number
of weeks" continues that paper. "there
can be greater efficiency of operation as
we'll as greater accuracy in compiling
statistics. If business firms in consider
able numbers take to this 13-month
system, 1t may hasten the day of gen.
eral calendar revision"
X X X
Attesting that "this arrangement
makes bookkeeping and pay rolls SIM
pler"; that "all employees will be paid
in units of % days; that "the pay days
will be evenly spaced and the days of
the week and days of this business
month will correspond" the Appleton
Post Crescent concludes: Business
men generally are friendly to the new
scheme and think it would be an I'M
provement over the present calendar
at least for business purposes. Whether
1t would serve as well for social and
religious purposes is another question"
"Of course" says the Providence
Journal, mo one Is asked to adopt this
new calendar; In fact, no one Is ex-
pected to. It has been devised merely
as a commercial convenience, and 1t is
expected to facilitate business calcula-
lions and the general routine of ac-
counting. But one would imagine that
1t would produce sad confusion in all
outside transactions. Suppose, for In
stance, that a note falls due on Febru-
airy 20. Even now the name of the
month Is often omitted In commercial