PREFATORY NOTE 



IN my Inaugural Address I had intended to deal chiefly 

 with the historical basis of Simplified Spelling. As ex- 

 plained in the opening paragraph, it was decided that it 

 would be better to come at once to the practical problems 

 of the present day. The manner in which these were dis- 

 cussed was greatly influenced by the fact that the lecture 

 had to be delivered before an audience which was largely 

 hostile. Public feeling the feeling of the small public that 

 cares about such matters was somewhat excited. Under 

 a misapprehension, I believe, of our aims and methods, the 

 body then officially representing the Gaelic League had 

 just condemned our work as unnecessary and dangerous. 



Since the time when the lecture was delivered much of 

 the opposition we had to meet has disappeared. On the 

 one hand it is now universally admitted that, for various 

 reasons, old methods are not succeeding. The critical 

 state of the language, hardly realized last year, is now a 

 commonplace. And this leads many to welcome help where 

 they had feared rivalry. On the other hand the encourage- 

 ment we have received from Canon O'Leary, and the pub- 

 lication of some of his writings in Simplified Spelling, have 

 served as a guarantee of good faith, and brought us valuable 



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