The uncertainty of City Solicitor Richard D. Gerould '24 delayed action yesterday on a referendum about the hotly-contested appointments made by the School Committee last December. The City Council refused to set a date for the referendum until Gerould worked out how the question should be put to the voters.

The Cambridge Civic Association, represented in the School Committee by minority member Judson T. Shaplin '42, associate dean of Education, has protested the appointments as "illegal" and collected over 11,000 signatures, which by law require a popular referendum on the subject.

C.C.A. member Charles A. Watson moved in Council that the date of a special election be set for April 2, but the other C.C.A. councilors apparently did not share Watson's optimistic view that "The appointments don't stand a chance of being accepted by the people." They voted against setting a date now.