Now that the Index has at last appeared, its merits and shortcomings are the subject of much discussion. Indeed, so prevalent has the discussion become that it makes the whole matter of college annuals an important issue, and one worth treating in a public manner. In another column will be found one of the complaints. The writer's arguments in favor of illustrations and "grinds" have been answered in a previous number of the CRIMSON. Sufficient it is to say that the college is too large to indulge in personalities, and that the humorous artistic talent of the college has quite as much as it can attend to, in supporting the Lampoon.

The latter portion of our correspondent's letter contains better suggestions. The plan of having the Index contain a directory of the men living in the dormitories would be a great addition, and one that the students would appreciate and use. Such a directory would supply a long felt want, which the catalogue cannot attempt to supply, and neither the Index nor any of the pamphlets issued in the autumn have yet filled. Then, too, without casting any reflection upon the present editor, we would like to urge that a change in the present manner of editing our annual is desirable. As now conducted, the Index is really a private enterprise, masquerading under the guise of a college annual. It savors too much of private gain, without enough regard for the requirements demanded by the students to day. In short, there seems to be a lack of responsibility to any person or class for the good and slightly appearance of the book. To remedy this state of affairs, two suggestions have been made. One, to have a board of editors elected by either the sophomore or junior class, who shall see that the annual appear early in the fall term. The other plan is the one pursued at Yale, it is to sell each year, the privilege of publication, to members of the junior class, who ring out the annual by themselves in the next fall term, but are in a measure responsible for its good appearance, on account of the publicity of their bargain. The sale is made to the highest bidders. Here at Harvard, the proceeds might be devoted to aiding some organization, or collected as a fund for the lighting of the Library.

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