SHOULD THE NEW COUNCIL BE RATIFIED

Does it not seem extraordinary that the undergraduates should be expected to elect a Student Council with "direct jurisdiction over individual students" when the individual students in question have not been consulted as to whether or not they want such a body? This, however, is exactly what the scheme for a new Council proposes, inasmuch as the College is given no chance to consider or to ratify adequately the new plan. The CRIMSON believes that the formation of a new Council and its adoption is a matter important enough to justify discussion and a real ratification. The present scheme with its provision for combined ratification and election as a side issue to the class elections is entirely inadequate.

The second reason why the proposed scheme is ill-advised and not worthy of being put into effect is that the published list of nominations for Council members is absolutely unconstitutional, the list was made up by the nominating committee of the defunct Council. Can it be that the nominating committee, as it stated in yesterday's CRIMSON, "has nominated the following men according to the constitution of the proposed Council"? As it appears to an ordinary observer, to proceed constitutionally, it will be necessary, first, to ratify the new Council, then to have its ex-officio members appoint a nominating committee, which, in turn, will publish a list of nominees. The CRIMSON furthermore believes that the present list of nominations is not in every respect as representative a one as could be drawn up.

The third main reason for the CRIMSON'S opposition to the new scheme lies in the proposed constitution itself. The organization of the Council, with its large advisory and small executive bodes, is excellent. However, there should undoubtedly be a provision for nomination by petition. The powers of the new Council, which are stated to be the same as those of the old render the success of the new plan impossible. Past experience has shown conclusively that a purely advisory body without any real power if of no use. Some ability to enforce its decisions must be granted to the new Student Council unless we wish a repetition of the decline and dissolution of the old body.

For these reasons would it not be a mistake to permit the Council as proposed to materialize?