REFORM IN COUNCIL

The unwelcome spotlight of criticism turned on the Student Council last month by Ballantine and Bowditch has born fruit in the new constitution to be submitted to that body tonight. The most encouraging sign of a chastened Council is the abandonment of many glittering and outworn pretensions as shown in the preamble of the new document. Realizing that direct jurisdiction over students was a doctrine as wishful as it was impractical, the framers of the new constitution have settled back to accept a less spectacular but more fitting role. The chief function of the council will be, "to bring before the governing bodies of the College expression of undergraduate opinion in an effort to make College policies better adapted to the needs of the student body."

Since the hoped-for reduction in the number of members seemed a stronger purgative than the Constitutional Committee was willing to take, some iron-clad provision should be made to drop those members who enter the Council as they would a club. Under the new constitution a member who misses three successive meetings "may" be removed by a two-thirds vote. This provision should be made mandatory in all except the most extraordinary cases. In the past the Council has been most prodigal in overlooking the shortcomings of its members, and unless expulsion for non-attendance is made more binding, it will continue to be as little regarded as it is now.

In an effort to insure the secrecy of certain of its deliberations, the framers of the latest constitution have adopted what seem to be unwarranted strong-arm methods. No rule should be made providing for automatic suspension in case of a violation of a confidence imposed by the Council upon its members. In such an organization necessary confidences must be maintained by the honor and loyalty of the members, and mandatory secrecy would not only be impossible to enforce, but might lead to grave injustices should politics enter the Council chambers.

One of the most important duties of the Student Council is the management of elections, and any new constitution should attempt to correct the more flagrant abuses of the system. Much of the inefficiency of Senior elections in the past has been due to the multiplicity of polling-places, and one central station for all voting should be established. This could be watched over efficiently by the two Junior committeemen, and the dangers previously encountered in scattered voting would be almost nullified.

The adoption of a new constitution has been necessary for so long, that it is encouraging to contemplate the bold changes made by the present committee. On the whole the constitution to be submitted to the Council tonight is an efficient and complete code of operation, and with a few revisions would form an ideal base for Council activity.