Sharp Explains Crawford's Statement That Students Employ Name of College in Making Sales--Calls It Form of Begging

Explaining the decision to curb the use of the so-called "sympathy appeal" in summer selling R. T. Sharp '28, director of the Student Employment Bureau commented on the announcement made yesterday by A. B. Crawford, President of the Eastern College Personnel Officers Association, that 27 eastern colleges would take steps to prevent students from trading upon their college connection while selling goods during the summer vacation.

His statement is as follows: "The decision to curb the use of the so-called 'sympathy appeal' was based upon a survey of summer selling jobs, recently completed by a committee appointed in October, 1931, by the Eastern College Personnel Officers Association. All students placed with sales companies through the employment bureaus of thirty eastern colleges during the summer of 1931 were asked to give a detailed report of the amounts which they earned, the length of time they worked, the number of working hours required per week, and the degree of supervision they received. They were also requested to give frank opinions of their jobs.

"Earnings and profits are comparatively low. The average gross amount earned by the individual students who reported was only $211, and the net amount cleared was $94. The average amount earned per hour was only 51 cents and the average individual profit per hour over expenses 21 cents. Those facts seriously challenge the claims made by certain of these companies that canvassing of this nature yields a higher return than other kinds of summer employment.

"As Dr. Crawford's statement pointed out, the association believes that no salesmen or company has a right to use the name of any college to make sales."