Records and Texts Fourth General Conference
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[.Distributed to the Council and the Official No. : C.977.M.54-2. 1931. VIII. [4th C.G.C.T./P.V. 1-3 Members of the League of Nations.] and 4th C.G.C.T./Com.Cai.P.V.] Geneva, December 7th, 1931. LEAGUE OF NATIONS ORGANISATION FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSIT RECORDS AND TEXTS relating to the FOURTH GENERAL CONFERENCE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSIT Held at Geneva from 12th to 24th October, 1931 VOLUME I 1. Minutes of the First Plenary Meeting of the Conference. 2. Minutes of the Plenary Committee for the Examination of the Expediency from an Economic and Social Standpoint of fixing Movable Feasts and of simplifying the Gregorian Calendar. 3. Minutes of the Second and Third Plenary Meetings of the Conference. Annexes. Series of League of Nations Publications VIII. TRANSIT 1931. V in. 2 4 1 CONTENTS. Page 1. Minutes of the First Plenary Meeting of the Conference, held on October 12th, 1931, at 11 a.m. : I. Opening of the Conference : President’s S p e e c h ...................................................... 5 II. Program m e of W o r k ............................................................................................................................. 6 III. Appointment of the Committee for the Verification of Credentials........................... 7 IV. E lection o f V ic e -P r e s id e n t s ............................................................................................................ 7 2. M inutes of the P lenary C ommittee for the Exam in atio n of the E xpediency from an E co no m ic and S ocial S t a n d po in t of fixing M ovable F easts and of simplifying the G regorian C alendar : First Meeting, held on October 12th, 1931, at 3 p.m. : I. General D iscu ssio n ............................................................................................................................ 8 Communication by the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British E m p i r e .................................................................................................................. 13 Communication from the National Committee on Calendar Simplification of the U n ited States of A m erica ....................................................................................... 13 Second Meeting, held on October 13th, 1931, at 10.30 a.m. : II. Stabilisation of M ovable Fe a s t s .............................................................................................. 13 Third Meeting, held on October 13th, 1931, at 3.30 p.m. : III. General Reform of the Calendar : Inconveniences of the Present Calendar ......................................................................... 17 Fourth Meeting, held on October 14th, 1931, at 10.30 a.m. : IV. General Reform of the Calendar (continuation) : Establishment of a Perpetual Calendar or Simple Equalisation of the Q u a r t e r s .............................................................................................................................................. 21 Fifth Meeting, held on October 14th, 1931, at 5 p.m. : V . A pp oin tm en t o f a C o-ordination C o m m i t t e e ........................................... 27 VI. General Reform of the Calendar (continuation) : Establishment of a Perpetual Calendar or Simple Equalisation of the Quarters (continuation)............................................................................................................. 27 Advantages and Disadvantages of Perpetual Twelve-month and Thirteen- m on th C a l e n d a r s ........................................................................................................................ 29 Sixth Meeting, held on October i$th, 1931, at 10.30 a.m.: VII. General Discussion (continuation) : N ature of Declarations m ade by D e le g a te s ....................................................................... 30 VIII. General Reform of the Calendar (continuation) : Advantages and Disadvantages of Perpetual Twelve-month and Thirteen- month Calendars (continuation)....................................................................................... 31 Seventh Meeting, held on October i$th, 1931, at 3.30 p.m .: IX. General Reform of the Calendar (continuation) : Advantages and Disadvantages of Perpetual Twelve-month and Thirteen- month Calendars (continuation) .................................................................................. 35 Possibility of an Im m ediate A pplication of the R e f o r m ................................................. 37 S- D. N. 1.455 (F.) 1.265 (A.) 1/32. Imp. Artistique, Lyon. — 4 — 3. M inutes of the S econd an d T hird P lenary M eetings of the C onference : Second Meeting, held on October 19th, 1931, at 10.30 a.m. : I. Tribute by the Conference to the Memory of E dison.............................. II. Stabilisation of Movable Feasts : Results of the Work of the Plenary Committee............................................... Declaration by the Turkish D e le g a tio n ............................................................. Draft Declaration regarding the Economic and Social Aspects of fixing Movable F e a s ts ................................................................................................... T itle ......................................................................................................................... Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 ....................................................................................... Paragraph 4 ............................................................................................................ 39 Paragraph 5 ............................................................................................................ 39 Paragraph 6 ........................................................................................................... 40 Paragraphs 7, 8 and 9 ...................................................................................... 40 Paragraph 1 0 ........................................................................................................ 40 Paragraph 1 1 ........................................................................................................ 40 Adoption of the Act regarding the Economic and Social Aspects of the Stabilisation of Movable F e asts..................................................................... 41 Declaration by the British D elegation................................................................. 42 Third Meeting, held on October 19th, 1931, at 3 p.m. : III. Stabilisation of Movable Feasts (continuation) : Adoption of the Act regarding the Economic and Social Aspects of the Stabilisation of Movable Feasts (continuation)........................................... 42 IV. Report of the Committee for the Verification of C redentials............................. 42 V. General Reform of the Calendar : Results of the Work of the Plenary Committee ( continuation) .......................... 42 Draft Survey of the Economic and Social Aspects of the Simplification of the Gregorian Calendar : Paragraph 1 .......................................................................................................... 42 Paragraph 2 .......................................................................................................... 44 Paragraph 3 .......................................................................................................... 46 Paragraph 4 .......................................................................................................... 46 Paragraphs 5 and 6 ........................................................................................... 47 Adoption of the Survey of the Economic and Social Aspects of the Simplification of the Gregorian Calendar................................................... 47 LIST OF ANNEXES. 1. Proposals by the President relating to Procedure................................................................. 4^ 2. Reply by the Holy See to the Invitation to send a Representative to the Conference . 4$ 3. Report of the Preparatory Committee adopted on June 13th, 1 9 3 1 ..................... 49 4. Resolutions adopted by International Chamber of Commerce Congresses in 1921, 1923, 1925 and 1929.......................................................................................................................... 66 5. Views of the United States National Committee on Certain Points submitted by the Preparatory Committee for Examination at the Conference........................................... 67 6. Draft Declaration regarding the Economic and Social Aspects of fixing Movable Feasts submitted by the Co-ordination Com m ittee..................................................................... ^8 . Report by the Committee on the Verification of Credentials.................................................... 69 . Draft Resolution submitted by the Co-ordination C om m ittee............................................... 7° 9. Telegram received from London by the World Calendar Association on October 17th, 19 3 1 > transmitting a Signed Statement bv Mahatma Gandhi on the Subject of Calendar Reform .........................................." 71 1. — MINUTES OF THE FIRST PLENARY MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE.1 H eld on October 12th, 1931, at 11 a.m. President : M. A. de V asconcellos. I . Opening of the Conference : President’s Speech. M. de V asconcellos, whom the Council had done the honour of appointing President of this Conference, desired to express his appreciation. He regarded this appointment rather as a tribute