The New Hampshire State Superintendent of Public Instruction,

Mr. Henry C. Morrison, in a recent address before New Hampshire teachers, severely criticised the New England College Entrance Certificate Board, of which Dartmouth College is a member, characterizing it as ah educational trust. During the same address, he urged that the State of New Hampshire enlarge the facilities of the State College of Agriculture at Durham so as to develop that institution into a university. To many this suggestion has seemed to carry the Superintendent's implication that Dartmonth is hopelessly incapable of meeting—in its specific field!—the educational needs of New Hampshire.

The whole matter gains interest from two considerations. First: since its foundation, Dartmouth College has been intimately associated with the State of New Hampshire on terms of mutual regard and helpfulness. In recent years, the State has made an annual appropriation to aid in the maintenance of the College. Second: Superintendent Morrison is himself a graduate of Dartmouth. He stood high in the class of 1895. As an undergraduate, he enjoyed membership in a prominent fraternity and in a senior society. He is one of the youngest alumni to have been honored by nomination for trustee of the College. While not elected, he polled a heavy vote.

A situation such as this presents infinite opportunity for misunderstanding and misrepresentation. " Journalism might demand that advantage be taken of that opportunity. Fair play and loyalty demand that it be ignored. In his address before the teachers, Mr. Morrison was, in his own mind, no doubt, concerned only incidentally with Dartmouth College. The emphasis upon that institution has probably been placed there by the quick interest of others. For this reason THE MAGAZINE has asked Mr. Morrison to prepare an article stating his position with regard to the relation between Dartmouth College and the State of New Hampshire. This he has very kindly consented to do in time for publication in the May number of THE MAGAZINE, i For his ready courtesy in cooperating to keep Dartmouth alumni accurately informed on matters vitally affecting the College, Mr. Morrison deserves sincere thanks.

Any persons who may have assumed that the creation of an Alumni Council would put the Secretaries' Association out of business, or reduce its meetings to a few dumb gesticulations across the lingering snow drifts of March, must confess themselves mistaken. The meeting just closed was very nearly the. liveliest in the history of the organization. There have been others where the debate verged more nearly on the acrimonious, and still others where more momentous issues were considered. Never, however, has the nature of the topics discussed been more varied, or the participation more general. This was in part due to the fact that the prearranged program was far from rigid. Its formal features in the way of set addresses were sufficient to provide a wealth of suggestion, without being either so many or so long as to preclude opportunity for "jawing-back" on the part of the congregation.

Meeting as they do each year in Hanover, while the College is in session the Secretaries are certain to encounter many questions, the proper formulation of which will, increasingly, prove to be their function. Subsequent investigations and outlinings of policy will doubtless be left to the more highly organized Council.

The characteristic American faith in the power of law to cure all human ills, finds amusing illustration in the annually recurring fraternity "situation" in Hanover. At the outset, there is enacted by the rival parties a chinning agreement, which, being solemnly published, operates henceforth, in so far as the fraternities are concerned, on the inclusive principle of a mediaeval indulgence. For the rest, it is a caveat to the Freshmen, a joke to the profane, and a source of sorrow to the literal. Yet a" chinning season without an agreement, neatly decorated with strips in imitation of iron bonds, would seem almost immoral.

But when at length the yearly brainstorm has passed, and casualties are enumerated in dim, weary days of reactional quiet, dissatisfaction begins to emerge. Beta Uta, contrary to its own and others' expectations, drew an unwieldy delegation of eighteen callow neophytes; while Uta Beta, equally contrary to prognostications (its own, at least), was discovered in the early dawn of pledging trying to hold a really Roman triumph over a capture of three scrubby legacies and one near-athlete.

It is at this point that Uta Beta begins to perceive faults in the system. The logic of the matter is clear. There can't be anything the matter with dear, old Uta Beta; hence, the disastrous result can be attributed only to the maleficent law. The given season was short, — and rough on Uta Beta: ergo, let there be demand next year for a long season. Long season it becomes; and long it remains, until Beta Uta, having taken precautions, again leaves Uta Beta floundering in the dust-clogged perspective. Forthwith, a call for new rules to the game.

The absurdity of this periodical change of method might, in time, dawn on the undergraduates, provided time were sufficiently extended. In practice, however, the three or four years of student experience with chinning problems is just about enough to produce confusion of mind. Virtually the only advance which the fraternities have made in twenty years lies in their requirement of minimum scholastic attainments as preliminary to initiation.

Such being the case, the President's suggested study of the past season is to be hailed with enthusiasm. Except that no one had ever thought of it before, the plan seems almost painfully obvious. A committee of the faculty, previously appointed by the students to serve other fraternity purposes, has been asked to gather all ascertainable facts concerning the chinning just concluded. These tacts include the actual operation of pledges, agreements, and codes; a comparison of freshman marks at vari- ous times and under conditions attributable to fraternity activity; and such other material as" may be considered pertinent.

THE MAGAZINE understands that this material is to be arranged, published, in whole or in part, and then filed for future reference, and that no attempt will be made to draw important conclusions or to make recommendations until, by repeating the study through a series of years, really complete data have been secured. The method has everything to recommend it. In application it will present some difficulties; chief of which will be that of keeping the objects of research contentedly within the field of observation. Thus far, however, the fraternity brethren have displayed a fine spirit of cooperation in the whole matter, while the faculty committee has exercised admirable tact and discretion.

To Professor Eugene F. Clark, THE MAGAZINE primarily owes its continued existence during the present year, as it did during the year 1911-1912. In both these periods he has assumed the barden of news presentation; of securing special articles of timely interest; and of acting as intercessor between authors and printer. It is pleasant to observe recognition of this work in the action of the Secretaries, who appointed Professor Clark directing editor of THE MAGAZINE. Henceforth, he will assume virtually complete charge, while the titular editor will act primarily in an advisory capacity and as contributor of the usual monthly comment.

The election of Mr. Rugg as literary editor will strengthen a department in which THE MAGAZINE has been somewhat deficient. Mr. Rugg graduated from Dartmouth in the Class of 1906. Since that time he has given himself to work in the College -Library, where he acts as executive assistant to the librarian. His spare hours he devotes to interesting lore of various kinds; to collecting prints, crockery, books, and information. THE MAGAZINE has already-profited from his assistance and now welcomes him to the board of editors.

Really artistic photographs of college buildings are so rare that THE MAGAZINE is pleased to reproduce, with view of a familiar building. It is merely one selection from a number of subjects taken by Mr. Strand. Among the legion of camera men who have photographed the College inside and out, this one seems to be the first who has fully realized its. picturesque charm, and has presented it to others through the medium of intimate glimpses. In all of his pictures he displays rare perception of decorative quality, and a fine sense of architectural significance. This is particularly exemplified in the view of Webster Hall, a building in many aspects far from perfect, yet here shown clad in almost majestic beauty.