A PARAGRAPH in the last Advocate declared that there was much dissatisfaction over this change in the order of speaking for the Boylston Prizes, on the ground that the Juniors had been despoiled of the advantages of their rightful position, the last. The reason why the last place should be deemed the better is probably because the judges are believed to be less critical towards the end of the speaking than at the beginning. The change, however, is not so unfair as it may seem. The present Junior class will have their turn at last place next year; no one is placed under a disadvantage, the only fault being that this advantage, if it be one, will have been given twice to the present Senior class. But it may be doubted whether this last place is any great advantage; fifty-three per cent of the Juniors who spoke at the preliminary trial are to speak at the final contest, against fifty-seven per cent of the Senior candidates. The difference between the proportions, it will be seen, is very slight, notwithstanding the fact that the Juniors spoke first. In an arrangement by lot, there would be a certainty that some men would have the last place both years, but, according to the present arrangement, those who do not have the slight advantage of position in the Junior year have it in the Senior year. For those Juniors whose names fall in the first half of the alphabet, and consequently speak among the first this year, will by the same rule, next year, fall among those who speak in the middle of the evening; and those Juniors whose speeches are in the middle of the list will next year have the disadvantage of speaking at the end of the evening, when the judges have become weary. The present change conforms to the same rule of precedence according to which the order of speakers at Commencement is in inverse order to their rank.