HSA Answers Dunster's Charges; Bailey Levels More Accusations

Two top officials of the Harvard Student Agencies differed widely yesterday in answering charges of "false advertising, cheap merchandise, and high prices" and threats of competition by the Dunster House Committee.

G. Oliver Koppell '62, president of the HSA, claimed that "in general, the charges are not justified," but stressed that the HSA will reimburse any student who has received inferior merchandise or has been misled by false advertising.

Koppell maintained, however, that he would object to competition from the Dunster House Committee because "there is no need for it." He claimed that if any improvements in quality or price can be made, HSA will make them, and noted that the University Administration is aware of HSA's prices and activities.

"I have no objection to competition from Dunster or any other House Committee," Dustin M. Burke '52, the faculty director of HSA, said last night. He maintained that even if the University allowed all the House Committees to sell beer mugs, banners, and sandwiches, "it wouldn't hurt HSA business."

Burke and Kopell also had different answers to a demand from John A. Purvis '64, a member of the Dunster House Committee, requesting "a full financial report from the HSA, including the salaries of agency executives."

Although he would not reveal any salary figures yesterday, Koppell claimed that he would be willing "to discuss anything and everything" with either the Student Council or the chairmen of the House Committees.

Burke Refuses Information

Burke maintained that "Koppell does not speak for the Board of Directors of HSA," and said that any disclosure of salaries is a policy matter for the Board to decide. "I consider the salaries of managers confidential information," Burke said, "and any demands for disclosure an invasion of the privacy of individual business."

William E. Bailey '62, chairman of the Dunster House Committee, also charged yesterday that employment at HSA "is no longer based solely on need." He said that the Committee had originally provided many of the items which HSA presently handles, and had given them up only because the "HSA was supposedly taking care of needy students at Harvard."

Burke Denies Charges

Strong denials that need is not still a primary factor in hiring HSA employees came from both Burke and Koppell. Burke asserted that "Bailey doesn't have access yet to HSA financial records," and Koppell affirmed that "need is as important as ability in choosing agency managers."

But a former manager of the Catering agency, Frederick Q. Rice '63, told the CRIMSON last night that he hired many people last spring without knowing their financial situations. He said that many other agency managers work on the same basis.