Permit Withdrawn for OPA Booth in Square

Its permit to operate revoked, the Harvard Liberal Union's OPA booth in the Square was forced to suspend operations by order of the Cambridge City Manager last Tuesday. The booth, which was set up in front of the Coop on Monday, had already sold 30 telegrams and over one hundred postcards to passers-by to send to their Congressmen protesting the delay in the return of OPA controls.

Under the leadership of Maurice C. Benewitiz '47, chairman of the Harvard Affairs Committee of the Liberal Union, the group had obtained a five day permit to operate the booth, and since the City Manager's act on Tuesday, they have been actively investigating their rights in the matter. Along with the effort to get telegrams and postcards sent, they had been distributing a flyer around the Square calling attention to the booth and urging people to take part in a buyer's strike against higher prices.

When they were forced to desist in operating the table in front of the Coop, they asked permission merely to distribute their literature. This appeal was effectively denied them when it was ruled they could make the distribution, but that they would be prosecuted if any papers were scattered around the streets.

Benewitiz, who has been in charge of negotiations and appeals to the City, felt that the legal technicality was not the reason for the action by the City Manager. He stated that, "The apparent reason why the City Manager revoked our permit is that certain individuals in Cambridge, who are opposed to OPA, brought pressure upon him to do so.