10. What Should You Know About Letters?

There are those who say that the art of letter writing is fast disappearing.

These mournful words are not without some truth. For one thing, there is the telephone. Years ago, if you wanted to keep in touch with someone who was far away, order some goods from a store, or raise the roof because something had gone wrong with a delivery, you wrote a letter. Now, often all you do is dial a number and talk.

Then there is the booming greeting card business. At one time, if a friend had a birthday, became ill, got married, reached an important anniversary, or became a parent, you felt obligated to send at least a brief note. Today, you go to a store, pick a card with more or less the right message, and send it off. You do the same thing if you want to invite, ex­press thanks, or offer condolences. Your language can be witty, daring, incredibly dull—depending upon your taste and the price of the card.

There's nothing wrong in all this. It would be foolish to recommend that you go back to the letter writing habits of the eighteenth century. It makes sense to take advantage of the convenience and time-saving features of both cards and telephones.

And fortunately for those who worry about our writing habits, the situation is not desperate yet. Mountains of mail still go out of and come in to homes, offices, and stores every day, and a great many of the letters are not prefabricated messages. There are several good reasons. A long distance call is much more expensive than a stamp and a few sheets of stationery. Employers insist that you write to them before you come in to talk about a job. Then, too, you want to write a letter on other occasions simply because it is better manners to do so or because a telephone call will not get the best results. Yes, despite all the concern, one thing is certain. No matter how little writing you do after you leave school, you will continue to write letters. So let's examine the three informal (or social or friendly) types and the three formal (or business) types that you should know how to handle since you may use them frequently.

I. INFORMAL LETTERS

A. Recommended Form:

1182 Robertson Court Riveidale 63, New York
January 23, 19
Dear
X..

Sincerely,

NOTES

1. This is the preferred block form, open punctuation style used most frequently these days. Each line of the sender's address and the date begins directly below the preceding one, and no marks of punctuation are placed at the ends of lines.

The indented, closed heading is still used by some, al­though it is becoming relatively rare:

1182 Robertson Court,

Riverdale 63, New York,

January 23, 19___________________

(Observe the indentation and punctuation of lines.)

1. You should use the same form on the envelope as you do in the letter.
2. Regardless of how close you are to the person receiving your letter, you should use the heading, unless you have printed stationery. Then the date (upper right) is sufficient. It is common courtesy not to force your reader to go searching around the house for your street or zone number when the return envelope is being addressed.
3. Note a comma after the salutation.
4. The first line is indented just as it would be for the beginning of any paragraph, and all subsequent paragraphs are handled the same way.
5. The complimentary closing (also Yours, As ever, Cordially,—almost anything warm and friendly will do) is also followed by a comma.
6. Don't be sloppy about your materials. Get some decent stationery and use it. 

B. Contents

1. The Friendly Letter: Think of it as a long distance con­versation. When you do, you will readily admit that if you were face to face with the friend or relative you have written to, you wouldn't be able to get away with something like this:

Dear _________,

I received your letter and was very glad to hear from you. Everybody here is fine and I hope you are, too.

How are things? Not much happening here. You know, get up, go to school, do homework, go to bed. That's about it.

Oh yes. Went to a party last Saturday night. Met some old friends of yours. Had a pretty good time. That re­minds me. Finally went skating for the first time this season.

Well, í guess it's about time for dinner. Don't forget to write and Jet's have all the dope. Hoping to hear horn you.

Your friend,
_________

Comments

This letter is utterly worthless. Take that mechanical open­ing, which is a complete waste of words. Of course you re­ceived the letter! Otherwise you wouldn't be replying to it. And of course you were glad to hear from a friend; no need to state the obvious. Nor is there any reason why you have to sound like a hypochondriac at the beginning of every letter. Sure, you are interested in your friend's health as he or she is in yours. But unless there is something special to be said about it, why make it sound like a formula? Take it for granted that all is well and go on to more newsworthy topics.

In the second paragraph you announce that you have nothing interesting to say and then you prove it. It's like telling someone that you are a dull speaker and warning him not to listen.

In the very next paragraph you contradict yourself. Noth­ing to say? You went to a party and met some friends. Fine. What did they say? Wasn't there something new with at least one of them? You had a good time. Why? Why didn't you give some details about that skating trip? Who was there? Anything amusing happen? And why the poor sentence structure? Must you insult your friends by using your worst English on them? Don't they deserve your best?

Paragraph four is the biggest blow of all. You think so little of your friend that you snatch a few minutes to tell him nothing and then you rush off to eat. Why not confess that it is too much trouble to keep in touch with those you like? And why bring this mess to a close with that annoying fragment used to death: "Hoping to hear from you"? If you write letters like this, with or without the fragment, you should not be too hopeful of getting a reply.

√ Here's what you should do:

1. The first thing is this. You've heard it before and you will hear it again. It's the theme of this book. ANY TIME YOU WRITE A PARAGRAPH OR MORE YOU ARE WRITING A COMPOSITION. A letter is no exception.
2. Don't just ramble along. Write in paragraphs. Don't fire away in all directions. Select one or two items to talk about and then develop them into full-fledged paragraphs, with topic sentences, details, vivid language, and all the rest of it.
3. Start right in with an interesting opening, as you would with any well-written piece. If you must inquire about health, do so at the very end somewhere. You don't have to lead up to the beginning. Begin!
4. Tell your news first. If the letter you are answering has some questions in it, answer them afterward in a paragraph or two—with details.
5. If you think you have nothing to write about, take a tip from what has been learned about letter writing from ex-servicemen. Ask any one of them what he looked forward to most eagerly when he was away. He'll tell you it was a letter from home. Then ask him what he enjoyed reading about. He'll say this:

What did Mom cook for dinner last Sunday? Has that leaky faucet been repaired yet? How's my kid brother (or sister) behaving? Have you had the first snowfall?

Where are you going on your vacation?

And you? If you were writing to him, what would you want to know? You'd want questions like these answered: What are your quarters like? How's the food? What's the latest training routine you've learned? Have you made any friends? When do you expect to get a leave?

The questions summarize the main point about what to write in letters. The person absent from familiar surroundings wants to hear about the ordinary things of his former environment so that he can identify with it once more. The one who is back home is interested in that which is different from what he hears, sees, and does every day. The one who should decide what you should write about is not you but the reader of your letter! Don't think of yourself and what has happened to you as the only source of interest. What seems dull to you may be exciting to one who is away. You can work the weather into an attractive paragraph if you try, or a ride in a bus, or an incident in class, or a discussion with your parents. Imagine what you would talk about if you were in the same room with the reader. That's what you should write about.

1. Don't feel that you must give an excuse for bringing the letter to a close. When you have nothing more to say, you are finished. Offer some final greeting, if you must, sign your name, and let that be an end to it. You aren't being abrupt when you do this; you are just being sensible and avoiding being a bore.
2. Use your best English, not to show off but to make what you have written worth reading. There's no question about the truth of this bit of advice. Forceful, vivid writing creates interest in itself. Be proud of your language. You'll be pleased at the compliments your well-written letters will draw.
3. Whenever possible, try to involve the reader in the situations you describe. This establishes a point of contact and a feeling of being a part of the experience.

Here are two letters written by a couple of friends. Noth­ing particularly exciting has happened, and yet the intimate tone and the detailed descriptions make each the kind of letter I am sure you would enjoy receiving:

From the One Who Is Away

_________________
_________________
_________________
Dear _______

Well, it's over, but it wasn't easy. Moving into my dorm, I mean. Father got me up here just before noon. How the old bus ever made those snaking Pocono hills I'll never know. You know me and my stuff; it was all over the rear seat, in the trunk, and on my lap. We were sure a spring or an axle or something would break, it reminded me of the time your brother took us up to that farm in Connecticut and we had to lie on some blankets in the back because there was no place to sit. Anyway, we found my worn eventually, although it would have been simpler if we had hired a couple of Swiss Alpine guides. The freshmen get put into these old mansions that have a million rooms and just as many staircases—narrow, steep, and rickety. To get to my place, we had to go through the kitchen, open a door, climb about twenty-seven steps, stagger past some wardrobes in a narrow hall, and finally fall two steps down into what they call quarters for two. First time I've ever Jived in a dropped bedroom.

Now that I'm getting used to it, however, I'm grow­ing fond of it. The ceiling has a real attic slant, and that makes everything snug and cozy. On one side somebody built all kinds of little closets and drawers, giving us loads of room to keep odds and ends neat and out of the way. A double desk in front of the one window looks out on a gorgeous back yard, with its rolling lawn framed by some fine old trees. Off to the right, at the rear, there is even a tiny fish pond. It's so restful looking through that window. The bunk beds are a bit of a problem—yes, that's what they are. They stand smack in the middle of the room, and what with one thing or another always on the floor you have to learn how to navigate around them. We've learned how, but my poor shins and lumpy forehead will never be the same.

You know what? I think I'm going to like it here. I'd be sure of it if you were around, too. I'll tell you all about my roommate next time, but get a letter back here fasti

Affectionately,

___________
From the One Back Home
Dear ________,

You escaped just in time. About two hours after you left, a few snowflakes started to come down. Then it be­came so thick it looked as if somebody was pouring white paint out of the sky. The weather man says we got six­teen inches, but it seems more like ten feet to me. At the moment the view through my window is almost as beautiful as that back yard you talked about in your letter. The houses are all gingerbread and spice, with white icing, and the clean, snowy blanket has given the outdoors that sterilized purity of appearance found in hospital rooms. But the picture will not be so pretty tomorrow morning when we try to get the car out of the garage.

I'm so glad you're settled and, judging from the de­scription of your room, satisfied, too. Do you remember that horrible "closet" we shared the first summer in camp? Compared to that, what you have now sounds like a suite at the Waldorf. I'm sure you don't have to hang your things on a couple of nails in the wall, or keep your shoes on the window ledge, as we had to do in dear old Watonah. And I imagine your bed has a real spring in it, not that bundle or quarry stone we had to sleep on for eight weeks.

Yesterday I finally got around to returning those blue slacks we had agreed I didn't like. If you think Bel-strom's was a madhouse when we went shopping just before you left, you should have seen it two weeks later. Everybody's aunt or mother was there, and for the same reason I was—to return or exchange. I realize now that some of them must have brought things back because their nieces or daughters just hadn't had any more room in bags or valises (if what you tell me about your luggage is an indication). While I was there I ran into Billy Wilder. You know, he works there Saturdays to earn money to run his "heap," as he calls it. He asked for your address, and when he did you could have knocked me down with a broken fender. Did you know you had made a conquest? If you don't keep me posted on this one, III never speak to you again, do you hear?

Yours,

2. A "Thank You" Note: When you have visited some­one's home or have received a gift from a close friend, a card is much too impersonal as a means of expressing your appre­ciation. Instead, write a brief note. Be specific, original, in­timate. Mention the gift and tell why it is something you can use, or, if it was a visit, give details of that part of the ex­perience that you enjoyed most. For example:

Dear ___________,

That was a weekend I will always treasure. The swim in the lake and the trip to the county fail were only the highlights of two completely wonderful days. Thank you so much!

Gratefully,

Dear __________,

Your gift really solved a problem for me. I had been wondering whether I would like an electric shaver. Now I know. It's surprisingly good, and is everything you said it is. Thanks, George.

Appreciatively,

3. A Condolence Note:When someone you know very well has suffered a great loss, you will want to express your regret in your own words. Here again a brief, hand-written note is best. Some cautions:

Don't be "terribly shocked." Much too standard and formal

Don't be philosophical.  Very irritating

Don't overdo your emotional Sounds too artificial reaction.

Be simple and sincere. Say what you would if you were face to face with the mourner, perhaps like this:

Dear _________,

I know there is little I can say at a time like this that will be any consolation to you. But I did want you to know how sorry I was to learn of your terrible loss. Can I help in any way?

Sincerely,

________

II. FORMAL LETTERS

A. Recommended Form

72 Lake Shore Drive
Flemington, New Jersey
October 16,19_______

The Philbeit Novelty Company

16-27, Newbury Road

Los Angeles 5, California

Gentlemen:

X...................................................... .......     X                    

Very truly yours,

Vernon C. Crowley

Vernon C. Crowley

NOTES

1. The block, open-punctuation form is preferred.
2. If the stationery has a printed letterhead, only the date is necessary, upper right. Otherwise, the full heading, as usual.
3. Write (preferably type) the full name and address of the company, including the zone number, if there is one; precede this with the name and title (if any) of an individual, if the letter is being sent to one person.
4. Note the colon after the salutation.
5. Indent normally for the beginning of each paragraph of content, unless you are using the severe block form, as is done occasionally:

Dear Sir:

In the latter style, the content is single-spaced and the para­graphs are identified by double-spacing.

1. A comma follows the complimentary closing.
2. The common practice, in typed business letters, is to skip at least four spaces after the closing so that your name can be typed in under your signature. This is to make sure that the proper spelling of your name can be verified.
3. Business letters written in longhand very often show an extra space skipped before and after the salutation and another before the complimentary closing. This practice varies, however. 

B. Contents

1. The Letter of Application: One of the most difficult things to do is to try to sell yourself. And yet, this is exactly what you must do when you apply for a job. The problem becomes even greater when the application is made by let­ter because you are up against rather formidable obstacles:

§ Except in rare cases, you are not going to be hired di­rectly from your letter. The best you can hope for is an inter­view.

§ If your letter is in response to an advertisement, yours will not be the only one received. You will be competing with many others.

§ There will have to be something in your letter that will make it stand out sufficiently to attract the attention of the prospective employer.

Magazine articles are frequently written on how persons who adopted unusual approaches were selected for inter­views immediately because of their imagination, originality, and inventiveness. For instance, letters like the following have worked for some in the past:

Gentlemen:

Look no further. I'm your man. Just tell me when to report for work.

Very truly yours,

 ______
Dear Sir:

You don't have to spend another dime on ads in the

"Times-Herald" for a copywriter. The best one in town is available right now. Just call Re 8-22 ij.

Confidently,

Although these examples make interesting reading and got results for the people who wrote them, you can be certain that most employers nowadays are not impressed with the brash, almost offensive type of application. The novelty of this kind of approach has worn off. Preferred today is the individual who can offer solid qualifications and concrete evidence that he will make a desirable employee, either on the basis of his training or academic record. Your objective, therefore, should be to present an attractive application that will reflect your best abilities and most impressive back­ground. You might bear these principles in mind when you write:

1. Be realistic about yourself. As a high school student, your experience is necessarily limited, as is your training.
2. Try, therefore, to apply for jobs for which some out­ standing aspect of your school record or a proved ability of yours makes you unusually qualified. For instance, if you have received very high marks in physical education and do well in athletics, you will make a desirable employee in a summer camp or beach resort. If you have specialized in commercial subjects—can type well or can operate various business machines efficiently—you will fit well into an office. Or if you are outstanding in mathematics or science, consider applying to a large company that has a laboratory or research division. In short, pick your spots so that you can emphasize your strengths in your letter.
3. Don't necessarily wait until a suitable advertisement appears in a newspaper. Make your own opportunities. Investigate among your friends and relatives, business publi­cations, even the telephone directories, and draw up a list of places where your talents can best be used. Write with or without an invitation, remembering to be respectful, business­ like, and sincere.
4. Be brief and forthright in your language. The letter of application, too, is a composition and subject to its rules of
   unity, interest, and correctness. Omit any information about yourself that does not promote your suitability for the position. Busy executives don't have time to waste on several pages of personal data, however charming these accounts may be.
5. Be sure your spelling, grammar, and punctuation are flawless. Carelessness here is certain to destroy your chances.
6. Make everything about the letter high in quality-good stationery, neat typing, a well-balanced layout with the context centered on the page. If you must write in longhand, don't let your handwriting betray you.
7. Include mention of at least the following:

Nature and source of information about the job
Age, educational background, training
Special qualifications (either certain abilities or
pertinent experience) References
Request for an interview

Leave questions about salary, hours, and benefits for the in­terview unless specifically requested to mention these items.

You can handle the contents of the letter in either of two ways. The usual form involves covering the various topics directly in the text, like this:

Gentlemen:

I am interested in joining your staff as a general coun­selor during the coming season.

I shall be graduated from the Westbridge High School in June, at which time I shall be eighteen years of age. My best grades to date have been in English, biology, and health education. I have been an active member of intramurals in softball, basketball, and volleyball and have been awarded three gold medals.

For the past two summers I have worked as a coun-selor-in-haining and junior counselor at the White Lake Day Camp in Haines Falls. In addition to my regular duties, I assisted in putting out the camp newspaper and served on the First Aid Squad.

The following people have indicated their willingness to supply references in my behalf:

James C. Wilson, Director, White Lake Day Camp, Haines Falls, New York

Arthur L. Treat, Faculty Coordinator of intramurals, Westbridge High School, Westbridge, New York

I shall be happy to appear for an interview at your convenience.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas Bolton

Thomas Bolton (Lu 8-7211)

Paste snapshot here.

The other method of application, very popular in recent years, is to send a brief note, supported by an index or li­brary card on which is supplied the necessary personal in­formation:

Dear Sir:

Enclosed you will find a card on which are listed my qualifications for the job of junior draftsman, advertised m yesterday's "Post-Sun?'

I should appreciate an opportunity to discuss my ap­plication with you personally.

Very truly yours,

Roger Kranette

Roger Kranette

Front Side of Card

Roger Krannet  1127 File Street

                        Canton, Ohio

                        Da 8-4774

Age:    18       

Education:      Graduate, June, 19—

Wilson Technical High School (Same city)

Major: Mechanical Drawing Minor: Blueprint Reading Honors: Certificate for Excellence in

Drafting

Experience: Summer employment (2 years)

Jules Connor Company (Construction) 1374 Watson Boulevard

Canton, Ohio

I have also assisted my father, who is a mechanical engineer.

(over)

Reverse Side of Card

References: Mr. Jules Conner (address above)

Mr. Carl Tremper, Teacher of Me­chanical Drawing

Wilson Technical High School

Rev. Winford Beame Christ Church (Same city)

Paste snapshot here-

Roger Kranette

2. The Letter of Complaint: Some years ago, about six months after I had purchased a new car, I observed that there was something wrong with the paint on the hood. In bright sunlight, the undercoat could actually be seen be­neath the final coat of colored lacquer. When I brought this condition to the attention of the dealer, he was not too sym­pathetic, claiming that the car was no longer under the fac­tory guarantee.

Thereupon I wrote a letter to the parent company in De­troit, Michigan. Within a week, a representative called me at my office, expressed interest in my description of the de­fective paint job, and promised to be in touch with me again. A few days later I received word from the dealer that I was to bring the car in for inspection by the representative. This I did, and the result of the examination was an offer for a re-painting of the hood at no cost to me.

Anyone who knows how anxious reputable companies are to maintain their good will with the public will not be sur­prised at this prompt and satisfactory adjustment of a legiti­mate complaint. However, more than merely illustrating a sound business policy, this little story about an automobile shows you how a letter in the right place can often accom­plish much more than any amount of talk.

So, when you are dissatisfied with something you have bought and can get no satisfaction by a personal appeal, try a letter if there is a responsible organization behind the product. Not only will you often get better results by "going to the top," but you will have a dated record of the whole transaction and will be able to use it as evidence should some question arise at a future time. When you write a letter of complaint, be sure to:

§ ascertain first exactly who it is that can best handle your problem

§ give the price and the date of purchase of the item

§ mention the name of the store (if it is a branch and you are not writing to it directly), the department, the number of the sales slip, and the name of the salesman.

§ present a detailed description of your complaint (and be sure it's reasonable!)

§ suggest a remedy

§ indicate when and how you may be reached for further discussion

§ maintain a courteous and sensible tone. Most mistakes are unintentional.

Example

Gentlemen:

On July 23, 19— I ordered books in the amount of $23.47 from your Madison Avenue branch (Sales slip #12785, Dept. 1B). When the shipment arrived, I dis­covered that "The Face of England," by W.S. Shears (Spring Books, London) had been sent instead of "The Face of London," by H.P. Clunn (same publishers), which I had ordered.

Please arrange for the exchange of these books as quickly as possible, since í need the material for a report I am preparing. Someone will be at home any weekday before noon. I assume there will be no further shipping charges. Thank you.

Very truly yours,

Niles Buhler

Niles Buhler

3. The Letter to a Newspaper or Public Official: A com­munity in New Jersey, worried about the prospect of disas­trous forced landings and the sleep-destroying screech of powerful jet motors, became aroused when it learned that state officials were planning a huge airport in its midst. A na­tional audience of millions was astounded at the incredibly dramatic sight of a television comedian walking off a show, while it was in progress, as a protest against censorship of his material. Suburban teenagers were indignant over the latest slap at their status when they read about proposals to raise the minimum age for a junior operator's license from sixteen to seventeen or eighteen.

These three events occurred recently within a few weeks of one another. Now, what do you suppose the people in­volved did to indicate their displeasure? Most, of course, voiced immediate shock and annoyance, grumbled for a few days, then promptly forgot about the problem. Some went a step further and discussed with their friends what they could do about the situation, but never quite lifted their objections out of the talking stage. Others may have made some tele­phone calls and felt satisfied that they had expressed them­selves vigorously. But the ones who really influenced the final decisions were those who sent letters—to officials, to newspa­pers, to the television station, to political leaders. At this writ­ing, the proposed airport site has been abandoned, the co­median has been publicly invited to return, and the new li­censing bill has not come out of committee.

Too few of us realize how effective a well-written letter can be in stimulating action. We tend to accept the notion that one letter more or less won't make much difference to anyone. But it is obvious that one letter multiplied by thou­sands can be enormously influential or, if published in a newspaper, can set off a chain of correspondence that will grow into a mighty protest.

And there are occasions when one letter all by itself will bring results. I once tried an experiment with one of my eve­ning adult classes. I asked each student to select a situation that had been personally disturbing for some time and could be remedied by official action. We then decided who would be the logical person to be told about the matter and pro­ceeded to express our criticisms and recommendations in writing. Altogether twenty-seven letters were sent out.

Among the things that happened in the next few weeks were these: A gang of workmen showed up on the street where one of the students lived and repaired a large hole in the pavement that had been there for eight months; the bor­ough president had read and acted. Another young man, who had written to the Lieutenant Governor, was visited by a state bank examiner, who told him how to go about getting better interest rates on a recent disadvantageous installment purchase contract. A third student received a reply from a senator's secretary and was invited to outline his tax relief plan for parents of children attending college. The senator wanted to include the suggestions in a bill he would sponsor. At the end of the experiment, every letter had been an­swered, only three got form responses, and twenty-one out of twenty-seven writers were rewarded by some direct action.

The fact that you should get into the habit of writing letters when your interests or principles are involved is very well summarized in a memorandum I received only this morning from the Office of the President of New York Uni­versity. An effort was being made to purchase land for fac­ulty housing in an area where existing facilities were clearly inadequate. Some private interests were concerned lest the tax advantage to which an educational institution is entitled might create an unfavorable comparison with the rents in profit-making buildings. This explains the reason for the last paragraph of the President's message:

"In matters of this kind, there is bound to be opposition and oftentimes those opposed make known their objections by writing either to the newspapers or to city officials. May I suggest that if you believe our plan has merit, you may care

to write a letter to _________, expressing your opinion of our

proposal. The ___________, as you know, is Chairman of the

Board of Estimate, before whose body this question eventually will be resolved. This_________ might be of considerable

help to us in our efforts to solve a difficult problem."

As usual, in writing a letter to a newspaper or a public official, you follow the rules of good composition:

§ In the beginning paragraph, briefly identify the issue at hand and express your point of view.

§ In the next paragraph, give reasons, with specific details, why your stand is worthy of support.

§ Then indicate how the result of following your sugges­tions will prove beneficial, or make recommendations for im­provement if such plans have not yet been developed.

§ Finally, especially in correspondence with elected offi­cials, give some idea of how broad a section of the population shares your opinion. It always helps your cause if you can hint that you are not without sympathizers who may make themselves felt at the polls.

As an example, we will use the letter I actually sent in support of the university housing plan mentioned above:

Dear    ,

You are doubtless aware of the efforts of New York University to purchase a parcel of land directly south of two units of Washington Square Village so that build­ings providing decent faculty housing can be erected. As a member of the faculty, I consider it my duty to urge that you give this proposal favorable attention when it comes before the Board of Estimate for consideration.

For many years there has been an acute shortage of apartments where faculty members can be housed at rentals that are within their limited means. It is not un­usual for instructors to pay more than a week's salary every month for a single room in a dilapidated, century-old firetrap. This situation has made it necessary for most of us to travel long distances to class, thus cutting into time that might be more profitably spent in conferences with students. Moreover, the university has been serious­ly hampered in its efforts to attract outstanding educators to its staff. One has to have a comfortable and reason­able place in which to live before he can decide to move his family out of established quarters.

The erection of faculty housing at the Washington Square site will help alleviate the present unsatisfactory condition. But think of this, too. The university is also planning, if it is successful in its bid, to include a labora­tory elementary school on the premises. Under the cir­cumstances, you can readily understand that the benefits to the city of the proposed project would be far more than would accrue from merely providing apartment facilities for a group that has heretofore been relatively ignored. Better teachers in our schools will mean better citizens in our town.

The welfare of more than 3,000 faculty members will be at stake when you deliberate on the question. We will naturally be keenly interested in the decision handed down by the Board of Estimate. Surely, other than ob­jections raised by self-seeking interests, there can be no valid argument against the housing plan.

Respectfully yours,
Assistant Professor of English

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