Page:Pacific Monthly volumes 9 and 10.djvu/40

 20 in order that their institutions might win. They have been more to blame than the students, for of course the students would do what the committees connived at. However, there seems to have been, during the past few months, an awakening of these hitherto somnolent bodies, and they have made some effort to get together and agree on a uniform system of regulations to govern all college athletics. A meeting of the representatives of the Washington, Montana, Idaho and Oregon colleges was held at Spokane, and another of the representatives of the Oregon schools and colleges was held at Portland. At each a system of rules to regulate athletics was drawn up and adopted. The meeting at Spokane accomplished something, for it bound the colleges represented to abide by the regulations; that at Portland accomplished little, for it merely advised the institutions of the state to abide by them. Still, this was a step in advance, and may lead to another. Let us all hope that this present attack of insomnia may continue to trouble these faculty committees until they accomplish something of permanent value.

This year there were many more teams than usual, and more of them had good coaches from either the Eastern or the California colleges. The result is that the seven leading colleges of Oregon, Washington and Idaho found themselves very evenly matched, and gave the public good games. Most of the colleges and secondary schools have learned the value of good coaching, and hired as coaches men who know the game. Incidentally it may be said that the athletics of these colleges and schools have been freer from the taint of dishonesty and professionalism than have those of the larger institutions. This is due, not to the fact that the institutions are smaller, but to the fact that their faculties have exercised a stricter control over the athletics, and