"WHEN DOCTORS DIFFER."

Shannon News, 4 March 1927, Page 3

"WHEN DOCTORS DIFFER."

A QUESTION OF GRAMMAR. IS IT "ARE" OR "IS"? Isnt "are" or are it "is"? The Burlington Railway wantjs to know (says the Chicago correspondent of tho •'Christian Science Monitor.")** So far it is fifty-fifty. It all, started when the railway sought to tell the world through paid advertising space that along its right of way "is" or "are produced twothirds the oats, more than half the corn, etc., in the United States,"", The advertising agency wrote "is" in the copy. The passenger traffic manager changed it to "are," the traffic vice-president changed it back with ? ; caustic remark about the grammar of the passenger department, if any. So the passenger traffic manager called the University of Chicago into conference. They told him he was right —absolutely. So he reported to the vice-president. The vice-president asked North-west-, em University about it). They said he was right—positivety. Then white the traffic manager dashed off a letter tc Harvard, the vicepresident wrote to a lexicographer. One said "is,"'the other said "are." Then while one .wrote to Princeton the other wired Yale and asked for a hurry-up answer. When both answers came, ono said "is," the other said "are." And there -you "are"—not "is." What do our local experts say?