CLASS ELECTIONS

The announcement today that the Student Council has finally come to the conclusion that Sophomore and Junior Class elections have degenerated into a mere formality and that in the course of the next two years they are bound to be "automatically" discontinued is at least an indication that the body has come to realize the futility of the elections. But at the same time it demonstrates an unfortunate timidity in assuming the responsibility for putting through a measure at once which they admit is inevitable, but which they prefer to leave for another Council Board to negotiate.

In spite of the fact that the budget has had to be cut over 18 percent, the Council apparently sees no reason why it should not continue to expend a total of $140 this year for the postage and printing of balloting cards which experience has shown less than half the class respond to. Out of the 760 ballots sent out last year to members of the Class of 1933, only 372 were returned. If there were ever an appropriate moment to abolish such an outworn system, if only for economy's sake, it is the present. The Council has refused to avail itself of the opportunity.

As if to mitigate the heretical resolution that upper-class elections are doomed, the Freshman elections, will be allowed to continue. At present the entire control of Freshman affairs is placed in the hands of the Freshman union Committee appointed from each dormitory at the beginning of the year, thereby eliminating all necessity for any officers whether nominal or active. The fact that the Freshman Class may be more of a "unit" than the others is no argument for electing three men whose only service will be to provide their pictures for ornamenting a frontispiece in the Red Book.

That Class elections have long been a useless antique is history; that they have become an expensive antique as well is a new aspect which the Council should recognize at once.