THE CORPORATION vs. PLANK WALKS

BEFORE opening the subscription for plank walks two weeks ago, the Crimson endeavored to learn whether the Corporation would receive it. As no definite answer could be obtained, the matter was put to a test by placing the book at Sever's on Friday.

On Monday the Corporation voted "not to accept the subscriptions on the part of the students to pay for board walks in the Yard." The grounds of the refusal are, first, that it is not proper for the Corporation to accept subscriptions from students; secondly, that in the case when they did so, the men that subscribed for heating Sanders Theatre grumble because they were called upon to do it, and that this grumbling has come to the cars of members of the Corporation. With regard to this, we cannot see that there is any appreciable difference between receiving money from students and receiving it from men who have just graduated, as in the case of the College Fund. Men can be found to grumble at anything; it is but human nature. A few of those who subscribed for plank walks very probably would have done the same, but we think that it is much better for them to do so for a short time, as they might if called upon to subscribe, than for them to grumble incessantly, as they will do until the plank walks are provided. Again, the case of Sanders Theatre seems to us very different from that of the plank walks. The College was obliged to provide a suitable room for Mr. Riddle, one at least as good as that provided for Mr. Ticknor; this it did not do. The cost of plank walks, on the other hand, is more than the College can afford, with the certainty before it of a deficiency at the end of this year. Hence the Crimson offered to try to raise the money by subscription; and if the Corporation are willing to reconsider their refusal, it is ready to try it again. In this connection it must be remembered that the Corporation, which consists of the President, the five Fellows, and the Treasurer only, has nothing to do with the Faculty. To the objection that students should not be called upon to subscribe for plank walks, we suggest again that the amount which they subscribed would be saved in shoe-leather, or in the purchase of a variety of overshoes that has been recommended.

J. B. L.