SCALES OF NOTATION 81

same number of working days (26) in each month, the 1st,
15th, and 30th of the month would never fall on Sunday, the
first day of each quarter would fall on Monday, the last day
on Sunday. At the end of the year and at the middle of every
leap year there would be a double holiday, Sunday and New
Year’s Day or Sunday and Leap Year Day.

The advantage of this calendar over the present, Gregorian,
calendar seems very great. But its only advantage over the
thirteen months plan seems to be that it gives twelv months
instead of thirteen, so that a half year (neglecting New Year’s
Day and Leap Year Day) would be 6 months, a quarter year
3 months, instead of 614 months and 314 months respectivly.

This disadvantage of the thirteen months plan seems to me
small compared to its enormous advantage of having any par-
ticular month day always fall on the same week day. With
either plan the half-year would be 26 weeks and the quarter
year 13 weeks (1).

152 Money.

2 farthings = 1 half penny

2 half pence = 1 penny

2 pence = 1 twopenny (tuppenny)

2 twopennies = 1 nickel = 10 farthings

2 nickels = 1 dime

2 dimes = 1 shilling

2 shillings = 1 florin

2 florins = 1 dollar = 10 nickels
153, The Tyranny of Ten.

Can ten be displaced as a base? As long as man possesses
ten fingers it will probably never be displaced among primitiv
peoples, if they have advanst that far in counting. But among
civilized peoples, whose individuals find it continually neces-

(1) The League of Nations has a committee investigating the various
plans for improving the calendar. In the United States George K. East-
man took a leading part in the movement.