Mechanical Problems Delay Delivery of Independent

Door-to-door distributors for the weekly Harvard Independent found themselves without work yesterday when a printer's mechanical problems delayed delivery by 24 hours.

The printing company, Clipper Enterprises, said yesterday that distribution of the publication--which has an estimated leadership of between 18,000 and 20,000--was held up because a paper lift broke down. The Independent, which usually arrives on the Harvard campus by 7:30 a.m., did not come until late yesterday afternoon.

Eight thousand newspapers will be delivered this morning, according to Hope Spruance, general manager of Harvard Student Agencies (HSA), the newsmagazine's distributor.

Despite the delay, Independent staffers said they were satisfied with the printer which signed a contract with the weekly in June. They said that similar delays had occurred in past years, but could not remember exactly when.

The printer's General Manager, Edward Thompson, said the main cause of the delay, one of five contract jobs behind schedule, was the collapse of a machine used to lift the 1000 pound paper rolls.

"It wasn't a great day--we were short on people, we had a lot of work Everything went wrong," he added.

Despite the foul-up, Adam J. Berger '85 said most staffers spent yesterday "sitting around and relaxing--just as we usually do after we get an issue out."

The delay did not go entirely unnoticed by the Independent's readers, as several stopped by the publication's Canadav office to ask about delivery.