[cotsworth] the need of a " rational almanac " 221 



week-day name or monthly date, and likewise raise leap-day to be 

 a holiday, without either week-day name or monthly date; (2) arrange 

 the most convenient regularly recurrmg month of four weeks, with thir- 

 teen weeks in each quarter of the year. 



Having arrived at the conclusion that reform was highly desirable, 

 the next consideration was to ascertain what was practicable. 



Eeform Desieable and Practicable. 



That led to the submission of those suggested remedies to the late 

 Dr. Gott, the Bishop of Truro (England), to whom I also explained in 

 1898 the advantages of fixing Easter, having known him well in Leeds. 

 He considered " they would benefit the entire human race," and cordially 

 encouraged me to work for the reform, as also did the Dean of York, 

 Cardinal Stonor (whom I was privileged to meet in Eome), Dr. Tempest 

 Anderson, of York, and many others. My proposals of 1899 were then 

 published. 



Knowing that progressive reform would be more quickly taken up 

 by the free, untrammelled minds of Americans, I visited the United 

 States in 1903, and was highly pleased when President Hadley, of Yale 

 TJniversity, told me that he thought the month of four weeks " wouïd 

 come as a commercial necessity." Prof. Geo. F. Wright, D.D., and 

 others said the reform would surely be accomplished in reasonable time 

 if tactfully worked for — whilst prominent bankers and business men 

 agreed that it was highly desirable and practicable. Indeed the United 

 States Trust Co. and other bankers had, by prmted interest cards, etc., 

 already begun to charge interest every four weeks, and the U. S. A. 

 comparative table of working days in each month (as reproduced on 

 page 35 of the " Eational Almanac") was in regular use in the leading 

 offices. 



The governments, railway companies and other large employers had, 

 through changing days and unequal months, long been burdened with 

 vast numbers of monthly calculations to apportion yearly salaries, rents, 

 etc., to the varying number of work-days in each month, to ascertain 

 truer costs as against montlily revenue, traffic, sales, etc. They had 

 elaborate tables printed and some offered to pay for shorter methods 

 of calculation to meet their increasing needs, as my publications to 

 economize such work were widely known. 



That experience in America was emphasized when the four-week 

 (28 days) system was found to have spread to the British and German 

 iron and steel trades, steamship companies, etc., whilst all nations were 

 feeling the increasing need for equal monthly periods of service and 

 pay, as instanced by the Belgian Government having to adopt the four 



