Mr. R. A. Woods, of the South End House university settlement in Boston, conducted the first meeting of the course on civic problems last evening in the Phillips Brooks House. After showing the difficulty of understanding the meaning of events of the present day, Mr. Woods outlined the motives and meaning of the university settlement. Behind all university settlement work, he said, are the motives of applied history, science, democracy, and moral adventure.

From a careful observation of the life of the common people the sociologist acquires the proper point of view for his problem. As the development of medical science has resulted in great discoveries, so the application of the scientific interest to social problems will undoubtedly bring great advances of vital importance to our "democratic experiment." As the university settlement aims to be a neutral ground where all the varied types of our society can meet on the basis of self-respecting humanity, the needs and dangers of our complicated social life can be better met and understood.

But the university settlement is also intended to be a home among other homes--a group of forces to be complemented and finally replaced by the assumption--by the city--of the lines of activity then brought to universal notice.