The Washington herald., 1906-12-11
NJ SPELLING DOOMED
Must Fall, Regardless of Ac-
tiOn on Appropriation Bill.
JOINT COMMITTEE WILL ACT
~ Necessary, VIII Report Resolution
Providing for Old Method in All
Subject Is Discussed in HOuse-Mr.
GiIIett Explains His Attitude.

Simplihed spelling for use by Congress
is doomed regardless Of whether or not
the provision for the old form is al
lowed TO remain in the legislative appro-
priation bill. which is now before the
House.
The joint Committee on Printing, of
which Senator Platt is the Senate chair
man. and Representative c. B. Lands,
the House chairman, has taken up the
matter, and Will act in case the pro-
vision In the legislative bill is ruled out
on n point Of order, TO which it is said
10 be subject, when the matter is reached
In the bill. The Printing Committee has
reached an. agreement to report to the
House a resolution providing for the
use of the old style of spelling in all
documents, bills. and other publications
authorized by law. AS the sentiment Of
both Houses Of Congress is decidedly in
favor Of Noah Webster's way Of spelling,
there is little doubt that such a reso-
luton viii pass.
The effect would be to require that
the printing Of the Presidents message,
as well as all other executive and de-
partmental documents, be in the old style
The President might send his message
TO the printer in simplihed spelling, but
under such a law the Public Printer
would have TO break the rule of following
copy and follow the law.
The subject Of simpnhed spelling was
discussed at some length in the House to-
day, but no decision was reached as TO
whether the provision requiring the old
form Of spelling should remain in the bill
Cen Bingham (Rep., Pa set the ball
rolling in presenting the bill 10 the Com
mlttee of the Whole by reading the pro
vision that Congressional printing shall be
in accordance with the dictionaries. Esti-
mates. he said. had come to the commit
tee with simDlifed spelling. and thus the
matter had challenged the attention OF
the committee. He added:
Print in Old Form.
THE print that your committee has or
dered for the use of the House is in the
old fern. The printing of the Supreme
Court continues TO be done according to
the old style Of spelling, that court hav-
ing no instructions to use the simplided
form. We want. so far as the legislative
branch is concerned, that there should be
consistency in our printing"
Well" said Mr. Crum2acker Rep..
Ind.). unless there be something above
the establishment OF mere uniformity /
do not think Congress ought 10 enact legis-
latiOn on the question at all. because the
standard of spelling is virtually of usage,
and spelling is improving all the time"
Mr. Livingston Dem. Ca. leader OF the
minority of the Committee on Appropria-
tions. said that If the proposed changes
OF spelling were approved II would mean
the entire reprintng Of all schOolboolls
at an expense that could not be foretold-
A revolution in the English language like
that suggested could not be accomplished
without the concurrent action of the
ETiglish-speakng world with which we
are connected.
Mr.. Gillett CRep., Mass.), whose opposi-
tiOn 10 the action of the committee. il
was reported, caused a delay Of some
hours in reporting the bill last Friday,
justified his attitude in the committee.
TT is q fact" he stated; Il do be-
lieve in a simplifcatiOn Of our spelling
/ am not particularly intense in that
opinion. Personally I should have been
willing that it should go on as it has
been going or for many years by the
constant practice of the public and news
papers. and II seems to me exceedingly
desirable that progress should continue.
because the English language is gradually
becoming the commercial language Of the
globe. The most of Us are constantly
falling in with the simplihCati0n Of the
language. and now that these 800 words
have been suggested, I think that It is a
more rapid step toward accomplishing
what natural progress IS slowly accom-
plishing. and for that reason favor II,
with one exception. 1 confess that thru
does not appeal TO me. and / cannot see
why It was inserted"
Mr.. Clark Dem.. Mo)-EOw long would
it take to modify the English language
at the rate Of 800 words a year?
Mr. Gillett-I don't know.
Would Take 400 Years.
Mr.. Clark-It would take 400 years.
Mr.. Giuett-All the words do not need
modification.
Mr.. Clark-Nost of them do. as much
as these 500. If you are going into this
remodeling business, why not so the
whole hog, and take the phonetic system
that has forty-four letters in it and ab-
solutely abolishes learning to spell at
aH2
Mr.. Ginett-That would interfere in
many cases with the derivation or his
tory Of words. Does the gentleman
mean that he favors the phonetic system?
Mr.. Clark-I mean this: That this 300
word business is such an inhnitesimaI re-
form that if I was going into the reform
business at all I would at one jump
adopt the phonetic system Of spelling
and the shorthand method of writing.
and do away with the double task Of
learning 10 spell and write. Then you
would have a reform that is a reform.
c. b. Lands (Rep., Ind1-Is the gem
tleman q member Of this Amalga-
mated Association for Slmplifed Spelling?
Mr.. Gillett-I am not.
Mr.. Gilbert Dem. Ky.)-Is not the
House making itself ridiculous and alb
surd to enter upon the subject at all?
Might we not as well spend our time
regulating the color Of our CTavats?
Discussion Of "simplifed spelling along
these lines occupied a couple of hours,
and was followed by a speech from Mr..
Macon Dem, Ark, in favor of his bill
to prohibit interstate buying or selling in
futures in agricultural products.
At 3.t5. no one else desiring to speak,
the committee rose and the House aG-
jouTned.
New Milk Inspection Law.
Senator GalIinger introduced in the