DUNSTER HOUSE CENSURES HSA, THREATENS TO COMPETE

The Dunster House Committee last night "censured" the practices of the Harvard Student Agencies and decided to investigate "entering into competition with the HSA." The action was taken on unanimous votes.

Committee members charged the H.S.A. with "false and misleading advertising," "cheap and shoddy merchandise," and unnecessarily high prices.

"HSA, through its monopoly position takes advantage of students," charged Dunster House Committee Chairman William E. Balley '62. "There is no way to control monopolies but to compete with them or restrict them altogether," he said.

Balley, and John A. Purvis '64, who introduced the motions, emphasized that they were not necessarily attacking the HSA organization, but rather just some of its individual agencies.

The major points of criticism:

Beer mugs: The Committee observed the HSA representatives took orders on the basis of a mug far superior to the ones actually received by students. "You can see right through them," Purvis commented.

Rings: Some rings promised for delivery in four weeks have still not arrived. In addition, rings arriving scratched had to be accepted, according to Balley, "because the buyer's initials were already on them." The Committee also accused the ring representatives of false advertising for telling students H.S.A. rings were the only ones available with the Harvard shield.

Bartending: "The agency in unreliable," Balley stated. "They were hired by a Dunster tutor for a party and never showed up."

Food concessions: The Committee protested both the prices and the quality of the food. "If you can find anything in your sandwich besides mayonnaise," exclaimed Purvis, "It's divine guidance!"

A third Purvis motion asked that the HSA be "required to publish a full financial statement annually." Rumors of high rake-offs by agency executives and a desire to evaluate HSA's prices prompted the measure.

A case in point was the beer mugs. Mugs are sold at $5.50. Several Committee members contended that these mugs are available at $2.50.$2.00. According to Balley, the individual seller only earns a $.75 commission. "I want to know where the rest of its is going," the Dunster chairman declared.

In asking that the Committee investigate selling in competition with the HSA, Purvis noted that the House Committee used to offer similar items. "I think we can sell better materials at lower prices," he told the Committee. They agreed, emphatically.