We deeply regret to see that the Head-masters, in their
annual Conference, passed on Thursday a resolution favouring the reservation of scholarships to the sons of those who need such pecuniary help. All may compete for them, but only the poor are to get them. That is one of the worst consequences we have yet seen of that wave of pity for poverty which is just now passing over England. The effect of the resolution is to make of a scholarship an alms, and plant on its receiver a social stigma which will make him what a " sizar " used to be in Cambridge. The sense of the equality of classes, which is. one source of the educational influence of our great schools, will be at once destroyed. It seems to be imagined that the children of well-to-do parents will still compete; but if they do, that will only deepen the social stigma on the others, who will receive thescholarships while clearly not deserving them. As a matter of fact, however, the rich will draw back, the whole character of a healthy English lad being opposed to his sharing in a mere farce. Who competes willingly for anything, when the distribution of prizes is, as he knows, pre- arranged to his disadvantage ? If the scholarships are too few, let the Head-masters appeal for more, and let the billion- aires contribute another 250,000 a year.
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