Page:Handbook of simplified spelling.djvu/28

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20
ENGLISH SPELLING, AND THE

of the millennium—an attitude that would forever prevent it from arriving. And just as there can be no general agreement among mankind today as to exactly what the millennium wil be like when it comes, so it is futil for any man or any body of men to predict the precise form in which we shal spel when our spelling shal be as nearly adapted to its purpose as wil satisfy human requirements.

The best we can do now is to view our goal as an ideal toward which we must progress with what speed we may along the way markt out for us by the principles that plainly lead to it.

Activities of the Board
The Board maintains an Executiv Office in the City of New York, and holds an annual meeting in April, at which it recievs reports of the progress made, discusses and adopts plans for the future, elects officers, etc. Between meetings, the work is carrid on under the direction of the Trustees.

Immediately on its organization the Board began an activ propaganda by sending forth a preliminary circular in which it askt those who simpathized with its aims to take a simple initial step. Inclosed with the circular was a list of 300 common words of which alternativ spellings, one more simple and regular than the others, ar given by the leading dictionaries and sanctiond by the usage of eminent writers. All who approved the aims of the Board wer askt to sign a card agreeing to use the simpler forms as far as practicable.

The response to this circular was beyond expectation. Within a few months many of the leading filolo- gists, educators, sientists, and men of letters, announst heir adhesion; and thousands of teachers, fisicians,