President Eliot has said that the work of a Harvard student ought to begin promptly at nine o'clock in the morning. Since compulsory prayers were abolished, however, the tendency has become marked among a large number of students to delay the commencement of the work of the day until long after nine. The habit of tardiness has taken a strong hold especially upon those who have lectures during the first hour and has proved such a source of annoyance to several of the professors as to cause them to adopt the practice of locking the doors of the lecture room at five minutes past nine.

We have heard many complaints in regard to this exclusion of tardy students from the lecture room, but we believe that the action of the professors is perfectly justifiable. Something surely was needed to check the habit which was growing so troublesome to professors and students alike and probably no better means could have been found than that which notify the student that if he desires the benefit of a lecturer, he must be courteous enough to be present when the lecture begins. The rule has succeeded when it has been tried. We are glad that so serious an evil as general tardiness can be stopped by means so simple.