The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-14

Dean James Morris Page, OF the
University of Virginia, has writer,
the following article on Local option
and the University for the Alumni
Bulletin:
The president and faculty, as we'll
as the other friends of the university.
have watched with great interest and
with growing satisfaction the effects
upon atudent-ltfe at the university OF
the local option or prohibition move
ment which has oVerspread SO large
part of the South. Those in position
to observe the situation closely are
unanimous in the opinion that for
eight or ten years. and especially with
In the last Ave years, there has been
steady decrease in the use of intoxi-
Giants on the part OF the students of
the university. Student public senti-
ment Is becoming more and more
opposed to drunkenness. and no stu
dent guilty of habltual drunkenness
is tolerated In the society of his fell
lows Organized drinking bouts,
''soirees," celebrations after exami-
nation, etc. are also rapidly going
out of fashion. In fact two year,
ago the general situation had I'M
proved to such a marked degree that
some members of the faculty among
them the writer. we're exceedingly
doubtful whether prohibition in Char
lottesvilie might not ne detrimental.
rather than helpful, TO the better con-
ditions then obtaining. What was re-
garded by some as rather risky
experiment resulted. however. in q
very noticeable further decrease in
the use Of intoxicants by students.
For several years it has been the
rule that any reports to be made OF
disorderly conduct or intoxication o..
the part of students shall, In the rirst
instance, be made through the mo
dunn of the Office of the dean of the
university ] have, therefore, been
in position to compare. more syste-
maticaIly than most. very recent con-
ditions with those which obtained be-
fore Charlottesville went dry: and i
know from observation that there
was materially less of intoxication
and disorderly conduct on the part
of the university students with Char
lotteaville dry than with Charlottes-
vile wet. In my opinion II Is mat
ter for sincere Thanksgiving on the
part of the friends OF the university
that Charlottesville in the recent
local option election again went dry
by an overwhelming majority. After
having seen 1t tried, j am convinced
that prohibition does. to very ma
teriai extent, prohibit. and the re-
opening of charlottesville's saloons
Woulu, III my opinlHn, nave very ser
iously hampered the president and
faculty In the work OF. developing a
still strorg student public opinion
against the use Of intoxicants
As an indication of the combinen
efforts of the systematic campaign
which has been waged at the un.-
verSity Of recent years against drunk
cnness on the part Of students and OF
local prohibition In Charlottesville,
may say that this session only one
student has been reported, on account
Of tntoxtc7tton, to the deans Office
that IS, from Sent. I6 to Dec 20
and that enc entered plea Of no.
guilty" Moreover. there has not been
the slightest disorderly conduct OF
rny kind on the part of the students.
The attitude Of the nearly 500 stu
dents toward the academic COM
munftv life has been above reproach:
and II sitting in Judgment upon
minor cases ~ disorderly conduct
were the dean'r only duty, he would
he free TO clore his office anC &c fY
on an extended holiday