SPELLING REFORM, the purpose of which is to simplify spelling by the elimination of meaningless letters. In 1898 the American National Education Association adopted twelve words for simplification in spelling: program, tho, altho, thoro, thorofare, thru, thruout, catalog, prolog, decalog, demagog, and pedagog. In 1906 there was organized in New York the Simplified Spelling Board, headed by Prof. Brander Mat thews and amply subsidized by Andrew Carnegie. This body drew up a plan for a revision of English spelling of a far more sweeping nature. The follow ing are the chief changes recommended: (a) The use of e instead of the dia graph x, except at the end of a word; as in medieval, for medimval.
(b) The elimination of the silent b before t, as dout for doubt.
(c) The use of e instead of ea in words having the short e sound; hed for head, welth for wealth.
(d) The elimination of the final gh when it is silent, as in thru for through, or tho for though; and the substitution of f in such words as laf for laugh.
(e) The substitution of er for re in such words as theatre and centre.
(f) The omission of the silent g and the silent k before n, as in nome for gnome, or naw for gnaw; and nife for knife.
(g) The substitution of f for ph when thy latter is pronounced like f as in sere fenomena for phenomena; or ere for sphere.
A strong campaign was begun after the above plan was agreed upon to per suade newspaper editors throughout the country to lead the way in educating the people in the new idea. Special field agents were maintained, who spent their whole time traveling to interview local editors and school boards and to lecture before civic bodies. Some important
publications have supported the move ment, in part if not entirely, notably "The Outlook" and "The Literary Di gest." Thousands of local newspapers also indicate in their columns their con version to the idea. Undoubtedly there is sound logic on the side of the advo cates of spelling reform, but the senti ment of the people for old forms seems inclined to give way before reason very slowly. This was well illustrated in the effort of Theodore Roosevelt to popular ize simplified spelling in 1900. Being then President, Mr. Roosevelt issued an order instructing the public printer to adopt the simplified spelling in all docu ments prepared in the executive depart ments. In spite of his personal popularity, President Roosevelt was com pelled, shortly afterward, to rescind this order, so strong and persistent was the popular protest against the innovation. In Great Britain and her colonies there has also been a movement for simplified spelling. In 1911 an official conference of all the educational departments of the Empire met in London, the delegates to which were appointed by their respective governments. This conference passed a resolution declaring simplified spell ing "a matter of urgent importance." After this authoritative declaration, Nova Scotia, Australia and New Zealand instituted first steps in spelling reform in their departments of education.