2 Students Claim Charity Stipulation Was Unheeded

Two Adams House sophomores, Richard D. Stone and John A. Seiler, yesterday complained that the Combined Charities Drive Committee had failed to allocate their $17 contribution according to instructions.

Stone and Seiler reported that they had specified on their Combined Charities fund card that their money should be sent to the "Protestant and Other Americans United for the Separation of Church and State" organization.

Last week they sent an additional contribution to the P.O.A.U. and mentioned their previous gift. The P.O.A.U. replied that it had never received any funds from the College charity drive.

The two students yesterday checked with Jerome B. Spunt '50, treasurer of the charities drive, who admitted that nothing had been sent to the P.O.A.U. because the volunteer who was sorting the fund cards failed to recognize the group as a bona fide charity.

"Arbitrary Action"

Stone said he felt "the Combined Charities Committee had no right to take such arbitrary action on what are legitimate charities, especially without notifying the donors."

Seiler added that as far as he was concerned he wouldn't give the College drive "another nickel unless I was sure the money was going where it was stipulated to go."

The P.O.A.U. maintains lobbies in Washington and on occasion in state legislatures when bills pertinent to sep- aration of church and state are up for consideration. At present, for instance, it is stumping for the Bardon Bill.

Spunt replied to Stone and Seller's charges that the Combined Charities Drive Committee's action on the P.O.A.U. was in no way an arbitrary action but a "technical error." The P.O.A.U. doesn't sound very official and is not listed in the Boston phone book, he said.

He admitted that in an "ideal situation" his Committee would do well to Cheek on doubtful donations but that he had not the manpower to do so