The move for an alteration in the dining hours has been slowed up, if not entirely stopped, by the various reports on student opinion coming in from the Houses. In a majority of cases, the "student opinion" was feretted out by the simple process of tabulating the number of men eating before six, and those eating after, for a period of a few days. As a large group was found to be indulging in Mr. Westcott's gustatory offerings before six in all the Douses but one, it has been more or less generally concluded that the later hours are unwanted.
The unfortunate part about these proceedings, obviously, has been the methods opinions. In the first place, it depends on statistics; Mr. Disraeli's "lies, damned lies, and statistics," holds true, even at Harvard. In the second place, the statistics are incomplete, and have been compiled by headwaitresses, a flighty breed at best. The only sane way of setting the question is to take a ballot from the students as they enter the Dining Halls. In this way, the numbers for and against the later hours, and the intensity of interest in the problem, could be determined in one day, with a minimum of uncertainty, and a minimum of trouble.
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Cowards Of Us All
