The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18
new TRADE FOLLOWS
FISHERS STATEMENT
Graduate Managers Plea for
Secret System Doesn't End
ClamOr at Columbia.

The Spectator. Coiumbla's daily. which
has been hot on the trail of the athletic
association for the last week, fired an
other bomb yesterday despite the fact that
Harry Fisher. graduate manager OF ath-
letlcs. visited It's offices before going 20
Dartmouth with tho basketball team Fri
day night.
Fisher spoke with Alvin l.. Graham,
tho business manager. but did not talk
with Adelbcrt Snithers, the editor In chief
although the latter was in the room NJ
tho time. Whether Fisher wanted the
controversy smothered is not known, but
another article denouncing the mysterious
methods OF the organization made It's ap-
pearance after the managers visit. Fisher
has refused TO speak publicly on the mat
ter out II IL expected that the university
committee ON athletics al its next meet
ing Will take definite action.
The campus was rife with discussion,
which FOR the most part upheld the stand
taken by the college Journal. The trend
or opinion was that the despotic method
employed by The athletic association was
running Colunbia's sports more than the
absence OF football
The graduate manager LEI; q statement
part, but said nothing about the cry that
the various memberships should be reg,-
lated BY the members as OF old Instead OF
by the committee on athletics, OF which he
Is powerful member.
Athletics Is not on the wane," the
statement said, "as recent criticism would
tend to prove. Crew practice happened
10 he scantily attended for a few DAYS.
The fac; was inagniiieI into "A war by
those who are anxious that Columbia
should take back seat. Not one In a
thousand knows the true situation here
Visitors go 10 Yale. Harvard or Princeton,
see big crowd and talk of the wonder
full college spiri; OF those places
eliminating football, We come up 10
the other universities over 1000 en-
thusiasts attended the Coiumb,a-Cornell
BASKETBALL game recently. We went down
10 Princeton last week and the attendance
was not over 100
"of course there IS room for I,nnrnve
ment. but ! can safely state that athletics
NJ Columbia Is more popular now than
I'VE years ago. The treasury backs IN
this statement despite the fact that no
football receipts are available"
The Spectator insisted that the athletic
| association was chamber Of mystery
| and had no right to accuse the students
OF apathy for not supporting II when the
privileges Of the society amounted to
nothing more than subscribing ten dol
lars year.
IN order 10 he effective" the paper
SAD, any consideration Of tho problems
involved IN the present a. A. situation
must he of public nature. As matters
stand now the immediate cause OF dis
satisfaction. aside from the football
question. Is the feeling that has grown
up .nat the association IL a thing apart
Inrough the methods now In vogue
inc students nave been impressed with the
lact that although they are IN duty bound
! 10 tehuer their support. IL IL theirs not
70 reason why IN any respect. Some
wniie not altogether satisfied, have pro-
duced the desired support. others have
siHnihed their dissatisfaction by withhold
| ihs II. while still others through the A.
AS faiiure to enlist their interest, ma
tefial ana personal. have gradually drjfted
away.
III all these people are TO be brought
to the enthusiastic support of the organ
ization they must be convinced that they
are 10 get the consideration they desire
and furthermore that they will actually
become members OF an association in
which they can have a part. Preventing
student participation. centralizing every
power. and restricting news of proceed
| inHs do more harm by turning away in
terest than they could possibly do good
by increasing clerical efficiency
"A policy Of repellant aloofness and
| silence. whatever else can be said for IL
has never been found effective in boom
| Ing anything. and II II not likely TO be
| any different now. The best Intentions i'm
| the world may he behind H. but A. liz moi
| appealing to the students as 1t should an
peal. Closing ones eyes to this fact will
not change It in the least. The causes
of immediate dissatisfaction can and