THE MYTHICAL SEVEN

The Inter-House Committee is like the Privy Council of English Parliamentary Government. It exists but scarcely ever meets. To most, in fact, the Inter-House Committee is not even a myth, its activities are so very inconspicuous. But such an organization does exist and there is full excuse for its being. It is only to be deplored, in the light of inter-House conflicts and inter-House ignorance, that it does not fulfill its office and rise from the grave of impotence.

The inter-House group, composed of the seven House Committee chairmen, was inaugurated last fall to apportion dates for the House dances, and to prevent conflicts. The success of the Committee in this direction has been very mild. Four possible conflicts, it is true, have been averted on the Committee's behalf. But at Christmas time the first major conflict occurred when Winthrop held a dance the same night as did Kirkland. Since then the Inter-House Committee has been inactive, with the possible consequence that supervision of House dances will pass into higher hands.

Arranging dance dates, however, is not the only function open to the Inter-House Committee. Another need, that of circulating information from House to House concerning individual activities and experiments, could be administered to. It is with caution that the Houses are launching their new ventures of year books and ambitious dramatic productions. The Inter-House Committee, as a common source of information, would do much to hasten the development of the House system. Through this medium the other Houses could readily gain information concerning the pitfalls encountered by the Kirkland Year Book project or the Leverett newspaper.

The Inter-House Committee is not to be discouraged. The fault this year lies in the half-hearted way in which it has been advanced. That only two meetings were held during a year does not speak well for any committee. That the Committee did not take full advantage of its opportunities as an inter-House system is also a reason for its failure. The selfishness and jealousies of the Houses cannot be overcome unless the wouldbe supervisor is alive and respected.