GASOLINE SMOKE

The auto, that emblem of our mechanical age, comes in now and again for its due share of blame for almost any heinous insult to morals that passing fancy chooses to decry. And now its potentialities for destroying the fruitful years of the flower of American culture--the college man--are again pointed out. Dean of Men, Goodnight, of the University of Wisconsin has recently made a passionate plea to fathers against this vile filcher of the young man's time and money. He is evidently of the impression that the paths of autos lead but to the roadhouse where w.ne flows freely and time is lightly slain. Goodnight points out significantly that a car enables a student of weak character to procure liquor more easily. Whether a student of strong character can procure his liquor easily without a car or can resist the steering gear's natural tendency to veer toward a blind tiger he does not say.

Wisconsin is not alone in this attitude, as only last year Michigan forbade its students to own cars at school. This evident lack of laisser-faire is most deplorable. When the reference to students of weak character was made, the whole brief of the opposition to autos was torn down and a firm foundation for that of the advisability of keeping hands off in the matter was laid. If the problem lies within the character of the student, it is to be supposed that men of college age, with or without cars, can ride on to their destiny free from unnecessary meddling interference from their particular administration.