Harvard Crowd Hounds O'Donnell On Politics, Sales Tax, Mrs. Hicks

Gubernatorial candidate Kenneth P. O'Donnell '49 had an uneasy confrontation with a Harvard audience last night.

O'Donnell, a former appointments secretary to President Kennedy, delivered a 45-minute eulogy-history of Kennedy's career to a meeting sponsored by the Harvard-Radcliffe Young Democrats.

The audience then took over the meeting. They tried to pin him down on such issues as the state sales tax, party unity, the Massachusetts Crime Commission, federal aid to urban areas, corruption, and the integration of Boston's public schools.

When questioned on the proposed state sales tax, O'Donnell said, "There's one in every crowd who asks that."

Another member of the audience muttered audibly, "There are at least two."

O'Donnell said that he did not want to state his position on the sales tax until the state legislature makes its decision. "But I accept the fact that the monies are needed and I would accept the sales tax," he said.

Not Very Corrupt

"We don't have a 'very corrupt' government," he answered another questioner. "We are beset by very great problems. Massachusetts isn't treated fairly in the press. We do well, but we could do better."

O'Donnell said that he thought that the state should play a larger role in financing programs for health, education, welfare, transportation, housing and urban planning. Mayor Collins of Boston has recently stated that cities must become increasingly dependent on the federal government for money and planning.

Sees Democratic Peace

When asked to comment on the difference between his position and that of Mayor Collins, O'Donnell said, "When there is a Democratic mayor and a Democratic Governor, there should be no conflict. Anything that is good for Boston is good for Massachusetts."

One girl asked O'Donnell whether a liberal had any grounds for optimism in Boston after the re-election of Louise Day Hicks.

"I'm not sure that the last election is really a reflection of the people of Boston. Polls show that the people of Boston are as receptive as anyone else to the idea of having Negroes in school with them. The issue they were voting on this fall was busing."

O'Donnell then said that he thought busing would be "the only possible solution."

When one member of the audience asked, "Why are you a commendable candidate?" the many others hissed him. O'Donnell answered, "That's a question we all have to face at one time or another. The fact that the question has to be asked is why we have voters.