To the Editors of the Crimson:

The development of the elective system at Harvard is one of the chief glories of the University, but it has brought some evils in its train which are fast ceasing to be of minor importance. The chief of these is experienced every fall whom the undergraduates attempt to choose their courses for the ensuing year. The difficulty of selecting four desirable courses which do not conflict is a most serious one.

The courses have been arranged in groups with the utmost care, and the only wonder is that the difficulty is not greater. But still many parallel courses in different departments conflict. For example, Philosophy One and Economics Two, two natural companion courses, interfere, as do also Government One, Fine Arts Four and Latin B. French Six can not be taken in the same year with either Economics One or Seven. French Two C conflicts with English Two and Eleven, while History Ten, Economics Four and German One B all come at the same hour. German B, Spanish One and Economics There are exactly parallel, but they are in the same examination group, as are also Geology Four and Greek B. Greek C, Economics Twelve, and History Twelve form on her group of conflicting courses, as do English Twenty-two, German Five, Italian One, and Economics Five. The conflict of English Twenty-two and German Five is particularly unfortunate, as German Five is the only German open to Sophomores who presented advanced German for admission and took German in their Freshman year. Thus candidates for German honors are practically deprived of the invaluable training of English Twenty-two. This list might be almost indefinitely extended.

The suggestion is often made that the student should plan his work in advance in a way to obviate this interference of courses. But it is manifestly impossible for Freshmen to decide on eighteen courses. He can plan in a general way what line of study he would like to pursue, but beyond that he cannot go. He is necessarily affected by each succeeding year and by each course he takes. The difficulty of choice of subjects is increased by the fact that many of the best courses are given only every second or third year. The result of this is that many men graduate without having been able to work on those subjects which they desired, and are then obliged to enter the Graduate School to make up for the time they wasted at College in taking courses of no use to them.

The cause of the trouble is that the number of hours available for lectures and recitations is totally out of proportion to the list of courses given. The three hundred and twenty courses offered must be given in the fourteen hours of the college week, which is an average of over twenty-two courses each hour.

The only efficient remedy for this state of things appears to be the extension of the hours to include evening lectures and recitations. Lectures at six-thirty, seven-thirty, and eight thirty, except Saturdays, would increase the number of hours forty per cent and probably afford adequate relief, for the present at least. This plan, to the average Harvard man, may appear at first sigh monstrous, but there is no reason why it should be so. German and English students are accustomed to evening appointments, and Harvard men should not be disturbed at the idea.

There would probably be more satisfaction given if these evening hours were reserved for the small, advanced courses as far as possible without conflicting. This would relieve the pressure on the morning and afternoon hours and the big lecture courses could be better divided. There are some minor advantages to evening hours. The process of taking lecture notes requires less mental exertion than writing a theme or studying a text-book. Therefore, it would be more rational to do this original work in the morning when the brain is fresh, and save the evening for the more mechanical tasks. The athletes would certainly prefer evening courses to afternoon recitations.

It is a question between two evils, between the present conditions and a slight curtailment of evening enjoyments. But for what purpose do we come to college? Earnest students will be glad to take courses in the evening if they can get them in no other way. Those who are not earnest students are certainly not worthy of consideration. Harvard men should demand as their right the opportunity now only nominally afforded them, of pursuing unhampered an individual, connected, and consecutive system of work during their four years at college.