Quincy House Votes Down Plan For Contributing to Perdew Fund

Quincy House voted 156-134 yesterday to overrule its House Committee's decision to contribute $25 to the John Perdew Fund. The Committee had approved the donation by an 3-1 vote on Oct. 31.

The referendum was called when a petition signed by 36 House members charged that the contribution was both unwise and a violation of the committee's constitution. The constitution empowers the committee to act on "all matters pertaining to members of the House."

The vote was only the second of its kind in Quincy's history. It represents the only time the House Committee has been overruled by a vote of House members.

Committee chairman Robert A. Kudrie '64 maintained that the result was "certainly not a vote against civil rights." It merely showed, he said, that the contribution was "beyond the area in which many wanted to see the House Committee function."

The committee's secretary, Ronald J. Greene '64, said he was "shocked by the result," but agreed that the constitutional issue had probably swayed a good number of votes. He noted that voting was quite heavy for a House election, and that the decision was certainly an accurate indication of House opinion.

Restated Committee Motion

The ballot on which House members voted merely restated the motion which the House Committee had passed after little debate last week. It asked only for votes for and against the contribution, and did not raise the constitutional issue.

Opponents of the contribution centered their arguments on the constitutional question. Two articles in the House newspaper had presented the opposing arguments on the issue.

The Winthrop House Committee voted 12-1 last night against entertaining a motion appropriating money for the Perdew Fund. Members maintained that individual contributions should support the drive.