The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-01-01

~~A cred and new opportunities to
~ be grasped let slip. Will TIE
- anew year definite steps TAX
~ toward the adoption of
W. N calendar, that schedule by whi:h
N.Y. nv mankind arranges his affairs7
* ~ Over in Geneva, Switzerland,
a an international conference is
0Nls being held under the auspices
of the League of Nations to
wrestle with the perplexing problem of calendar
reform because it is felt that our present system
of reckoning the days of the year, with it's
noying irregularities and its shifting days, has
Outlived its usefulness and is hampering human
progress. This conference is participated in by
representatives of both members and non-mem-
bers of the League of Nations and should the
representatives be able to agree new cal
endar, the next step will be the signing of
treaty which will require separate ratification
by the different governments before the treaty
becomes law in each country.
1t is the hope of the proponents Of calendar
reform that such treaty and its ratification be
secured this year that calendar revision may
become effective on January l. 1888, which falls
Sunday. If this hope is not realized calen-
dar reform probably will be delayed six years,
for year does not start Sunday again
until 1889.
So far, than 1S5 proposals for calendar
change have been submitted to the League of
Nations but many OF them are ABSURD on the
face of them and others are too complicated or
too revolutionary to have much chance for seri-
GUS consideration. From present appearances
the contest between all the different proposals
seems to have simmered down to two plans and
It is upon the merits of these two that the dele
gates to the conference will pass in making their
decision. One is the proposal for interna-
tional fixed calendar, commonly referred to as
the 13-month plan and the other is the world
,n1o
The 13-month plan is the device of Moses B.
Cotsworth, Englishman who made calendar
revision subject of his study for many years.
During the Coolidge administration national
committee on calendar smplifcation was APP
pointed at the request Of the League Of Ma
lions to inquire into American sentiment on cal
endar reform. This committee. Of which George
Eastman, millionaire manufacturer Of Roches-
ter, N. Y, is chairman, made survey and re-
ported that "a large and representative body of
American opinion"-particularly the business in
terests-recognizes the grave defects" Of the
present calendar and demands" a ealen-
dar-preferably one of Is months although the
committee does not recommend that the Ameri-
can delegates to the League of Nations confer
ence be committed to any one plan.
Mr.. Eastman has been the leading proponent
in this country of the Is month plan which, to
put it briefly, would
Make every month consist of four weeks
Make every year consist of Is months of %
days each.
The additional month should come between
June and July and be called "So"
Every year there will be one day left over and
this is to be considered apart possibly as
kind of international holiday.
Every four years Qeap YEAR, there will be an
other day to be disposed of in similar manner.
The proposal of this plan has brought forth
the following arguments in its favor:
All months have the same number of work
days. Saturdays and Sundays and are directly
comparable.
Each month has the same number Of whole