AID FROM ENGLAND

In the Student Council's parietal report are summed up the major objections to the ill-functioning Victorianism of the present rules for woman guests in the Houses. But what is more important, the committee offered a streamlined substitute copied from the ancient, honorable, and morally impeccable Oxford University in England. The Oxford card system, which approximates the arrangement at Yale and various other eastern colleges, is as the report said "simpler and more effective." Under it a student would be required to sign his name on a card or in a book at the time of entering and leaving the House with a girl. There should be no rushing to the House library to get some acquaintance to sign as the "third person," no searching for the senior tutor, who is out, or the senior assistant tutor, who is also out, or the acting senior assistant tutor, who isn't sure that he ought to take the responsibility. On the other hand, the new system would provide a record and a check for the janitor, and it would be enforceable.

In 1936, when the undergraduates voted down the "two-woman" rule by a vote of 1226 to 49, the Masters of the Houses met with President Conant and worked out the present regulations. It was felt at that time that progress had been made, that the new rules would remove the difficulty and would work out in practice. Unfortunately those hopes have been in vain; for unenforceable restrictions, exasperating red tape, and encouragement of a disregard for University rules in general have had only an adverse effect on students and tutors as well as the Dean's Office. Adoption of the Council committee's report would bring things up to date and would furthermore be in line with the reasonable theory that Harvard men are adults.