Since rivalry in high strength tests has grown from a matter of individual to one of possible intercollegiate competition, the establishment of a uniform system among a number of colleges and universities may, by each year giving some one man the recognized championship, prevent considerable bickering. Last year for instance people who are interested may remember that Harvard, Yale and Amherst each had claimants in the field, since, while the methods of test were supposed to be the same, no one could be sure that the apparatus was of a uniform standard. The new agreement by providing for inspection of apparatus is intended to prevent any such difficulty in the future in a wider field of competition.

There is one danger connected with the whole affair, however. While the new system may help to raise the strength average by arousing more general interest in the test, it may lead to exaggeration of individual work at the expense of the athletic teams. Beneficial as gymnasium work is and to be encouraged among a certain class of men, if it puts a premium on indoor in opposition to outdoor exercise, and encourages individual at the expense of team work, it is in measure disadvantageous. This fact has already been recognized by a number of men with the result that our list of 50 strong men can as a whole scarcely be called representative. Thus though the danger exists it is improbable that intercollegiate rivalry will increase sufficiently to exaggerate training for strength tests at Harvard.