THE ATHLETIC BUDGET

At a time when nearly all the colleges in the country have had to slash their athletic programs to shreds, the Harvard Athletic Association has come out with a statement to the effect that it will continue to function on a full program for the remainder of the year, while making a large general cut in all expenses. It is clear that the Athletic Association has been exceedingly fortunate when the fact is considered that it could hardly have continued to function if last year's surplus and the $50,000 of the anonymous donor had not been conveniently available. The experience of the past weeks must have brought the H.A.A. to realize that it has been countenancing a number of unnecessary luxuries and extravagances. That is self-evident, considering that $140,000 of expenses have been cut without seriously curtailing the program.

Any appreciation of the situation should certainly not stop 'at mere self-satisfaction with the Association's success in solving immediate problems. The very fact that there was such a close call emphasizes once more the tottery financial foundation of Harvard's whole athletic program, which is forced to depend almost entirely on football receipts, thus necessitating much unfortunate "ballyhooing" and over-emphasis of that sport.

Once again, in view of the uncertain future, a more fixed and a firmer source of revenue than the present one might be suggested at least for the program of intramural sports. While Harvard has been almost unique in squeezing through this year with a whole skin, the next seasons may be considerably leaner, even allowing for the fact that the Association could naturally cut more in nine months than it has in five. But as long as the H.A.A. has to make up its budget in the spring by guessing at the probable football receipts for the next autumn, the whole program of athletics may be suddenly thrown out of joint.

The essentials of a better system in the case of Harvard, and of many other colleges, include the creation of an endowment fund made possible by strict economics, and the placement of a fixed fee on all undergraduate term bills. Intercollegiate sports can perfectly well be made to support themselves, but the present instability of the Association's budgeting system for all athletics must be reformed in order to put intramural athletics and physical recreation in general on a perpetually sound basis.