Cut Curfew

Dudley has never been short on crusades. Its latest one, however, represents an important change from the familiar cry of full equality. What the commuters want now and should get is an exception to Lamont's 9 p.m. reserve rule.

Spurred by Dudley's representative, the Student Council worked up a plan last spring by which commuters could withdraw reserve books from Lamont at 5:30. The new system, as envisioned by the Council, would be invalid during reading and exam periods, and would apply to only one of five books in each course--approximately the same ratio as commuters to residents.

The Council argued rightly that many non-residents must either wait at the University until 9:00 or return from their homes to pick up books. No two cases are the same, but for some commuters the nine o'clock rule is a tedious restriction.

Lamont promised to study the idea, particularly from the financial side, and submit a report to the Council by the end of summer. Last week the report arrived, signed by head man Philip J. McNiff.

The report contained five objections, none of them very convincing. The best of the five is that the new system would cause an added book shortage on the days immediately preceding hour exams and papers, but the Council can easily counter with a provision that if the drain on any title becomes serious the librarians can suspend the 5:30 rule.

McNiff closes his report with the abstraction that it is bad policy to give one College group special privileges. This hits the full equality boys at their weakest point, but it is a doubtful argument. While the commuters may gain equality, they are in several ways a segment apart, with unique problems.

On his side, McNiff has time to wear down his opponents. He can sit back and argue around the issue. What the Council can do is to force a decision by polling the resident students. If they are willing to suffer a slight inconvenience for the sake of the commuters, then McNiff's dogged reasoning will have a very hollow clank.