20 FEBRUARY 1953, Page 18

Double -Leap Year ?

Sm,—It was unexpected to find in the notice of the "Nation's Health" competition that the Spectator is favouring a change in the calendar, as the articles are to be received by February 30th! Whether the com- petitors are allowed time up to March 2nd, I do not know, but, to show my disinterestedness, I would beg to sign myself.—Yours faithfully,

NON-COMPETITOR.

[Explanations are not excuses, but they have their interest. It was decided to keep the competition open till a week after the original date, February 23rd. It was correctly calculated that 7+23=30, but the fact that the month was February was rather singularly overlooked. The date -March 2nd was substituted before many copies 'of the week's Issue had been printed.]