Very soon the men who have neglected their college work will be forced by the nearness of the mid-year examinations to resort to some means for acquiring sufficient knowledge to pass the test and the usual business of seminars and tutoring will be in full blast. It is pertinent just at this time, befor the trouble has actually begun, to consider these seminars and to see whether they are not assuming dangerous proportions.

The only serious argument that is ever brought forward in favor of the seminar system is that it provides an easy method for men to earn money for their college expenses. This is doubtless true, and whatever measures are adopted to overthrow the system will probably not be such as to make it absolutely impossible to give seminars and to earn money in this way. No rule can be passed forbidding them, for rules would not affect outside tutors and there would be an obvious injustice to a college man who happened to want to give seminars. The Faculty can take away scholarships from men giving seminars, but positive prohibition is very unlikely. This argument cannot be readily met; we can only say that the man who depends on seminar work for his living is unfortunate.

On the other hand, there is everything to be said against seminars. It is perfectly evident that they tend to defeat the real purpose of the University, for they not only make it possible for men to stay here without working, but they even encourage a shameful neglect of duty which must bring discredit upon the University. The minute a man wilfully neglects his work he shows himself out of harmony with the institution and anything which encourages him in this neglect must be an evil. Moreover, the price charged for seminars is so high that, even were they a good thing, they could not help a poor man to pass an examination. Some of the prices charged suggest a monopoly on knowledge which is ridiculous. The arguments against the system are too many to name.

Admitting the evil, which seems perfectly obvious, how is it to be done away with? We have said that no rule can justly be passed. The remedy cannot be a sudden one, subverting the whole system at one blow. It seems to us that the cure lies rather in a slow but steady raising of the standard of college honor. Not many years ago there was little opposition to practical jokes in the class room or to the most open cheating in examinations. The jokes have gone and the petty cheater is now looked upon as mean and contemptible. These things have disappeared because of public opion against them. Seminars must be starved out in the same way by the students themselves. Self respect and loyalty to the best interests of Harvard should be sufficient motive for the overthrow of this system which is so antagonistic to the spirit of the institution.