+ EMERALD EDITORIALS +
Moral Restraint
Moral restraint. That’s what is to enforce
election regulations this week. According to
the Senate, that leaves it up to each candidate
to see that the rules are obeyed.
Somehow this seems rather inadequate to
us. Granted the candidate themselves may
exercise “moral restraint" in their campaign
ing, but who is to control their perhaps over
ly enthusiastic fraternity brothers and sup
porters?
• How many volunteers will there be for
Bob Sigaboos’ cleanup campaign before the
polls open? How many people will petition
to watch the Student Union and see that no
signs are put up? And how many will report
any campaigning done on election day?
We doubt if there will be very many, and"
we also doubt the value of moral restraint as
an election control. —(S.R.)
Unanimous Opinion
“Spring term seniors should not have to
take finals.”
This unanimous opinion gushed from a
number of spring term seniors recently
polled by the Emerald. Numerous reasons
were offered for abolishing this ancient prac
tice—all of which makes good sense to us.
“Suppose I took the last final and
flunked,” conjectured one marginal senior.
He explained that by June his graduation
announcements would have been sent out,
friends would have bought him gifts, his
parents would have been invited to com
mencement exercises, his portrait with cap
and gown would be printed in the Oregana.
and ... “Well,” as he put it, “it would be
somewhat of a pickle not to graduate.”
The last minute flunk would be a rather
rude shock for any graduation-expecting
senior. This and the fact that professors have
to work like slaves (or at least harder than
they are accustomed to) even to get the tests
graded, leadsjis to wholeheartedly agree that
the dirty things (finals) should be done away
with. Many colleges and universities have al
ready come to this conclusion (we mdstn’t
let OSC show us up).
Another senior pointed to the wonderful
incentive that freedom from finals for spring
term seniors would set for other classes at the
University. They would all work extra hard
so that some day they too could become
spring term seniors and lie free of finals.
But the administration might argue that
without finals, there would be little to com
pel seniors to go to spring classes.
“That’s good." ventured another senior.
“By spring term, seniors are so all-knowing
that they would probably start showing up
their professors and create an embarrasing
situation. Better they run wild.”
“Also,” this same senior continued, "af
ter four years here in the rain belt, seniors
probably need to tan their anemic bodies
far more than they need the last minute
push in class.”
Well, these in the main, are the reasons
why Oregon seniors feel that finals spring
term are a thing that they could do better
without.
And we agree. The only superior sugges
tion that we have heard to date is that seniors
just plain don't go to classes all spring term.
-(D.L.)
Footnotes
Nebraska legislators have, as a result of
Saturday's panty raid on the Universitv of
Nebraska campus, done something that
looks almost as silly as the panty raid itself—
recommended a review of the University's
budget for 1955-56. Seems silly to threaten
the functioning of the university because of
the actions of .■'0 or 60 people who had no
place being in college in the first place.
* * *
Shades of things to come? The underdog
Sunshine party captured positions in all the
runoff races in the Oregon State associated
students elections. This marks the first time
a party there has had its slate intact going
into the general election.
* * *
Overheard in a conversation of an over
worked worker on the Canoe Fete, “The Ca
noe Fete isn't just another activity—it's a
way of life.”
* * *
Here it is just barely spring and the resi
dents of Carson 5 are already booming sum
mer—some people are never happy.
* * *
A prediction based on inside dope: The
presidential candidates of both campus “po
litical parties” will survive the primary.
INTERPRETING THE NEWS
Government Publishes Booklet
Aimed at Cutting Gobbledgook'
By MARTHA COLE
Of the Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Comes now
the government with a new at
tack and a new formula for an
old problem: Letterwriting.
They’re not going to endeavor
to effectuate an amelioration.
No, sir. They’re going to try to
improve things.
The General Services Admin
istration issacd a 47-page
booklet Sunday with the un
adorned title “Plain Letters.”
It's designed to sweep away
the cobwebs of gobbled&gook in
government letters.
Plain, workaday English is the
goal.
The formula is 4-S: Shortness,
simplicity, strength and sincer
ity.
The government writes about a
billion letters a year, the Hoover
Commission has estimated, and
altogether they cost the taxpay
ers about a dollar each.
Strip ’’the braids and beads
and fringes” from letters, the
booklet says and you not only
improve the quality but you cut
the cost of all this paper work.
The Hoover Commission esti
mated the government could
save 75 million dollars a year
with better letters.
Says the booklet:
For shortness — Don’t "wind
up” first with a lot of “in regard
tos,” get to the point, say "we
met” instead of "held a meeting.”
For simplicity — “Know your
subject so well you can discuss
it naturally and confidently.”
For strength—Use specific,
concrete words. Don’t explain
your answer before giving it.
Give answers first, then ex
plain if necessary. And don’t
hedge with words like “it ap
pears.”
For sincerity — “Be human.
Don't be obsequious or arrogant.
Strive to express yourself in a
friendly way and with a simple
dignity befitting the United
States government.”
"Plain Letters’’ is going to all
federal letterwriters. It follows
“Form Letters” issued last fall
by GSA with rules and patterns
for using form letters. Coming
up is “Guide Letters” to lay out
standards for using predrafted
letters to answer foreseeable in
quiries.
The public can buy the book
lets at the Government printing
office.
Mona Sheppard, GSA staff
specialist in correspondence
management, wrote “Plain
Letters.”
She closed it with a watch
list of 175 words and phrases
loved by federal letter writers.
For instance:
"Encounter difficulty — Why
not have trouble?
"Expedite—Can’t we say hast
en or hurry?
"Assistance—Let’s have more
help and aid.
And—
"Predicated on the assumption
—Forget this one.”
THE LOOKING GLASS
Real Living Legend'
On Mayflower Screen
M
By Len Calvert
Emsitld Columnitl
One of the true "living leg
entls" of our time is currently on
view at the Mayflower hiu! living
up to every advance report we
have ever heard of the fabulous
Greta Garbo.
For uh, and probably for moat
of the current college generation,
this is the first opportunity we
have had to see Garbo, the wom
an who has consistently main
tained that "I want to be alone."
Her last movie was In 1041.
“Camille" was made in 1030 and
bits been re-released by Metro
(inlduyn-Mayor In response to
demand created by a recent
series on the star in a I.uce
publication.
“Camille" shows Garbo as a
French prostitute who leads a
rather frivolous life, finds love,
but has to give it up as she is
not a suitable wife for the young
man (Robert Taylor).
Perhaps it is just as well that
the movie was re-released so that
people could see Garbo, for she
certainly is about the only thing
the movie has to offer the the
ater-going public. The plot is
trite and melodramatic as com
pared to present standards. The
movie would certainly lose its
audience interest were it not for
the famous Swede.
From her first appearance to
the end of the film, the eye wat
ches Garbo, her every movement
to her, reminding one very much
of pieces of furniture placed in
the scene for the convenience of
the star.
Nut it Iteaiitiful woman, Gar
lio Inis mi Huklvr quality Mint
makes hrr one of t lie* most fas
cinating Women we hove ever
seen on the sereen. < ertnlnly
few, if nny, of Hollywood's ctir
renf feminine stars deserve to
shine Inside her. Her fore is
one of the most expressive ever
viewed, Garbo run express
more hy n lifted eyebrow than
volumes of dialogue run.
M-G-M did surround Garbo
with mime very good character
actors which provide good coun
terpoint for her playing. How
ever, Home of the other principals
leave much to he desired.
Lionel Barrymore gives what
must be the worst performance
of his long and distinguished
career. In his big scene with Gar
bo, he ta completely unconvin
cing.
Robert Taylor, looking literal
ly years younger, is adequate as
her frustrated lover. He is hand
some and well suited to the part.
The younger Taylor looks the
part of a Latin lover.
\\ e w ollld like in see t lie
great Garbo In u movie with a
better plot and with better sup
porting actors as ix basis for
further comparison. In place*
in ••Camille," she reminded iis
somewhat of Ingrid Bergman.
It would really lie a Joy to lie
hold Garbo In a picture like
“Country Girl," we believe.
Although billed as a single fea
ture. "Camille” has enough short
subjects to qualify almost as a
double bill. Included in these is a
rather so-so short on pictures
currently being made in Vista
Vision by Paramount. It is one
continuous preview of 11 movies.
Armed Forces Day
V on re rljfht Kil, thpw> big drums <lo (;H h**avy on a long marrh.”
or*ec)o«r?i
P4CQCLO
The Orepon Daily Emerald is published five days a week durinp the school vear except
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Opinions expressed on the editorial panes are those of the writer and do not pretend to
.THE 'he, A.Sl ° "r th*' «'•*"■»•*>. 1 1 *siytied editorials arc written by
the editor, initialed editorials by memliers of the editorial Ixiurd.
JKKKY HARREIX, Editor
PONXA Rl'NUERG, Buviru Mgnifet
DICK LEWIS. SALLY RYAN, Associate Eititori
PATL KEEFE, Managing Editor
GORDON RICE, News ~Editor
BltrL yA1N W A RIN(j, Advertising Managtr
NANCY SlIAW, Olicc Manager
-■a—. J£t<KY ^LAt'SSEX, C HI C K MITCHEEMOKE, Co Sports Editors
HarreU* Sid keefe, Dick Uwi,, Gordon Rice, Jacli.