Communication.

To the Editors of the Crimson:

The racing rules of the L. A. W. divide bicycle racing men into two classes, professional and amateur. Amateurs are those men who ride for prizes not above the value of $35. The L. A. W. takes the standpoint that no man can be an amateur who is able to stand the expense of riding the circuits in states distant from his home. Consequently they have made the rule that no amateur can ride in any races held over 200 miles from his place of residence. Thus the rule requires that every man shall have a domicile and reason requires that he shall have one and but one domicile. Now it is evident that college men really have two domiciles: their real home residence and the town where their college is situated. It is also plain that the former is the real domicile of college men. Moreover, the L. A. W. has to meet the difficulty that often college athletic meets which have bicycle races in them are held more than 200 miles from some of the competing colleges.

To meet these two difficulties the L. A. W. has ruled as follows: That in a closed college athletic meet, that is one open only to college men, men may compete from any college, however distant, whether 200 or 300 miles, and the colleges may pay their expenses.

But as to open meets, those open to any riders irrespective of whether riders are college men or not, the L. A. W has said as follows:

"It would be unfair to let ordinary riders have only one domicile to which a 200 mile limit is attached, while college men have two domiciles; consequently we must rule as to college men that they have but one domicile and that, their home residence. If they wish to enter an open race, they may do so if it is within 200 miles of their home residence, but they cannot enter it simply because it is situated within 200 miles of their college residence as that is not their real domicile. But as they live at college nine months out of the 12, we will make an exception in their case, and if they ask for a permit to take part in open races situated within 200 miles of their college residence we will give them such permit, though it must be understood that domicile means their home residence and not their college residence."

That is all there is to this rule. College men are just as pure amateurs as any other amateurs. Only they are particularly favored in that they are allowed (1) to participate in any closed college meet wherever situated and (2) they can compete in open races distant within 200 miles of their college but regardless of their real domicile if they ask for a permit.

College men are still entitled to enter any races, open or closed, within 200 miles of their real domicile regardless of their collegiate status. A careful digestion of the rules of the L. A. W. shows consequently that college riders are not spotted amateurs, but real amateurs with additional privileges granted them on account of their collegiate status.

F. S. ELLIOT '95.