TOWN AND GOWN

Mayor Quinn's proposal of a "gentleman's agreement" between Cambridge and the colleges within its gates brings up a subject that has become increasingly vital with the continued growth of the city and its universities in the past few years. From the purely legal aspects of the matter the proposal may appear to be entirely in favor of Cambridge, since the colleges make a definite pledge regarding operations with their property, while the city can make only an unofficial agreement to cooperate with the universities' plans for closing and widening streets. But according to Mayor Quinn that is all that can be done under the law, so that however cordial the present Cambridge administrators may be toward institutional policies they feel unable to pledge their successors to any definite course.

On the more practical side of the question it is clear that $50,000,000 worth of tax-exempt property presents an acute financial problem to Cambridge. Taxes are pushed up not only for the business and industrial interests but for all the residents of the city, who include the great majority of the Harvard teaching body. Toward alleviating this burden the University has done everything possible in past years to cooperate with the municipal authorities. In 1902 when the University had occasion to widen De Wolfe Street, President Eliot remarked that from then on Harvard had no intentions of attempting to reduce its tax bill. Even after the building of the Freshman Dormitories the college has continued to pay taxes on the land on which they stand. The present situation is complicated and there are differences of opinion on various points, but from whatever angle the matter is finally settled there is no reason to expect any break in the traditional attitude of helpful and sympathetic cooperation between Cambridge and its colleges.