Pusey Cites Cambridge Ties With University

Harvard and Cambridge "have been married long enough so that any talk of separation would hardly seem well grounded," President Pusey said yesterday, nothing that the University is one of the city's largest employers, consumers, taxpayers, and attractions.

Speaking to a joint meeting of four service clubs, Pusey said that although educational institutions are tax exempt, Harvard stands fifth on the 1958 Cambridge tax rolls with a payment of nearly $178,000.

In addition to these tax payments on University-owned property not used for educational purposes, Harvard, Radcliffe and M.I.T. also pay money "in lieu of taxes" on much other property. Under this voluntary contract with the city, Harvard has paid the city more than $384,000 since 1928. All in all, the University expects to pay the city about $220,000 next year.

Harvard's total payroll of $32 million last year exceeded "the sum of the payrolls of the six leading industries of Cambridge," Pusey continued. Although much of this sum is paid to employees who live--and spend--outside of the city, and "impressively large" amount of it, over $101/2 million, is paid to Cambridge residents.

Students spend at least $5 million in the city and the University itself is "one of the largest, if not the largest single consumer in Cambridge," Pusey stated. In addition to enough food for 31/4 million meals, the University last year bought $1,325,000 worth of utilities, adding indirectly to the city's income.

Defending the tax-exempt status of educational institutions, Pusey said this status is a "recognition of the need for colleges and universities in our state and nation--a public need." He pointed out that if Harvard had not been left to private support, the burden of providing such facilities would have fallen on the state, and Cambridge taxpayers would have carried a share of this burden.

"In sum," said Pusey, "Harvard like Cambridge--and I hope and believe that in her heart of hearts Cambridge likes Harvard." He assured his listeners that "we do not intend to remove ourselves and our chattels to the hills of Peter-borough, N.H., as has been suggested,