P.B.H. SUSPENDS ENTERTAINMENTS TO HELP AID NEEDY

In view of the present economic crisis the Phillips Brooks House Association decided at its last cabinet meeting to suspend the Thanksgiving and Christmas open houses usually held for students in the College. Accompanying this announcement came the statement that a special committee of the Brooks House Cabinet has been conducting a six weeks research in methods of unemployment relief.

The reason for the suspension of the two activities mentioned, as explained by G. K. Martin '32, president of Brooks House, is that the money usually spent in entertainment for the students can be used to better advantage in providing necessities for destitute children in the community. It is estimated that 35 families can be furnished food on the occasion of Thanksgiving and that 45 children can be aided at Christmas time.

Under the supervision of the executive staff of Brooks House the committee on unemployment relief has investigated methods now in practice or under consideration at Syracuse. Columbia, New York University, Cornell, Michigan, Texas, the City College of New York, and others. In addition information concerning the possibilities of college organizations and men in unemployment relief has been sought from local welfare groups and church organizations as well as from the city and state committees on relief. The staff and facilities of Phillips Brooks House have been placed at the disposal of William Phillips, chairman of the Massachusetts Emergency Committee on Unemployment, by Martin. It is understood that Brooks House has also offered its services to the student council in any effort to mobilize Harvard efforts towards relief.

Among the plans approved by the Brooks House committee for trial is an extension of efforts now being made in the way of support of medical and dental clinics in poorer sections of Boston. It is thought that upperclassmen in the medical and dental schools might be of great assistance to regular practitioners who serve needy districts by doing survey work for the purpose of ascertaining just where immediate assistance is required. The increased need for medical assistance occasioned by desperate conditions can best be met in this way as the practicing physicians will be permitted to devote their entire energies to actual service instead of having to lose time in useless investigation