The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-01
DEFENDS FRATS
E. C. Miservey Refutes Attacks
on College Societies.
Have Been Unjustly Criticised
Influence Good.


Neservey, Kansas City attorney, VINO
was graduated from X. U. in the CLASS
Of 'S2, defends the Greek letter so
cieties at the university in an aIncle
which appeared in the Graduate
Magazine entitle, Gaping the Idle Rich
on Five Cents a Day"
"Fraternities and sororities MI a
place in college life that can be fiiieG
In no other way. the artlcie says;
do not believe that the spirit OF ex-
travagance and ostentation can De
said to dominate the life at our uni
versity, or that 1t prevails TO hisner
degree among the Greek letter socle.
. ties than among those VINO are no,
members of any such organizations
Mr.. Meservey's article was wr1tlen
In answer to an attack on the secret
societies made by Mrs. Florence F1ncn
Kelley, a classmate OF Mr.. Meservey,
Magazine last month and which
aroused considerable comment among
those interested in university alfalrs'
Criticise Unjustly.
The following paragraphs from Mrs.
Kelley's article are unjust to the ira
ternities, believes Mr.. Meservey.
1.-The Greek letter societies OF the
university have instituted and are
forcing upon the student body an ex-
travagance of expenditure that is as
appalling to the moral sense as IL Is
shocking to good taste. Their MEM
hers pride themselves upon an aping
of the customs that properly belong
only in those classes of society popu-
larly known as the idle r1cn Ana
even in that they often, as those who
ape are so likely to do, oveEsnoot . the
customs that make one wonder where
they found their model"
Il do not believe" says Mr.. Meser-
vey, that the spirit OF extravaganza
and ostentation can be said to domi-
OF tho nniVQYSitY or that
it prevails in a higher degree among
Greek letter societies than among
those who are not members OF any
such organizations.
Average Student Allowance.
Mr.. Meservey wrote to every soror-
ity and fraternity in the n-hellenc
council at Lawrence asking for spe-
cific information as to the amount
spent by each member OF the organ1-
cations. All except one society re-
sponded and 1t Is on these 11gures tnat
Mr.. Meservey bases his conclusions.
For the women the average figures
Monthly allowance from home. $42 0S
Cost Of board and room at
chapter house ,o. .or @'A'
Total cost to each member 1or ~
parties in year. $40
For the men the cost Is:
Monthly allowance from home. $45. 90
Cost Of board and room at
chapter house z'.oo
Total cost to each member Tor
There is also a monthly assessment
averaging 50 a month for each men,
Der.
The receptions given each year by
the fraternities and sororities are the
frequent points Of attack, says Mr..
Meservey, but he believes the excel |
lent management of the hosts keeps
the actual expense far below what
might be supposed from the elaborate |
ness of the parties.
Boys Live Economically.
1T remember at one of the most
elaborate dinners which I have at
tended, the boys in the fraternity
went down to the hall the afternoon
before and shelled the oysters that
were served at the dinner on the half
with the work it was hard, dis !
agreeable task. but a little money was
saved bv it.
NEARLY every one Of the fraterni- !
ties wrote me that from two to eight |
of their men were working their way |
through school. One fraternity boasts |
that in 1910 seven Of its members re-
ceived degrees, and that six Of them
worked their way entirely through |
school.
supervise Girls Clothing.
"Quite a number of the sorority |
girls make their own clothes. Many |
are made by parents at home, and all
are practically supervised and looked
after by the parents at home who pay |
the expenses, and who alone are re-
sponsible for extravaganza in that |
direction
Prof. e. w. Murray. chairman Of
the faculty committee on student. in |
terests at the University Of Kansas. |
backs up Mr.. Meserveys side of the |
fraternity question. He believes that |
the aristocratic air Of the fraternity |
il scarcely evident when twenty five |
meetings of nonfraternity men were |
held in one chapter house. These |
meetings were university affairs.
1.-THE fraternities and sororities en-
tertained more than fifty guests Of the |
university at their houses last year. |
Three of the five officers Of the Y. M |