Some good authorities prefer the order day, month, year; 15 Jan., 1916, but this is a matter of office style. Generally speaking the more common order is the better quite regardless of the logical character because it requires less mental effort on the part of the reader. For example in writing addresses English speaking people put the number before the street, 59 Wall St., while others put the number after the street, Wall St., 59. This is the logical order, because one goes to the street and then finds the number, but it gives to the American reader a curious sensation of mentally standing on one's head.
There is another set of abbreviations, known as the Dewey dates, as follows:
| Months | Days of Week | |||||
| Ja. | Apr. | Ju. | O. | Su. | W. | S. |
| F. | My. | Ag. | N. | M. | Th. | |
| Mr. | Je. | S. | D. | Tu. | F. | |
These may be used in tables and in other places where very great condensation is necessary, but not elsewhere.
In general, much greater abbreviation is permissible in the tables, notes, and other condensed matter than in the body of the text.
III. TIME.
Statements of time should not be abbreviated in ordinary reading matter; at half past two o'clock in the afternoon. If the context makes it clear whether forenoon or afternoon is meant one may write:
at three, at seven o' clock.
This form is used statistically, in enumerations, in tables, and the like.