NSA Group Meets on 'Purchase Card' Plan

A committee of National Student Association delegates from 10 colleges in the Boston area will discuss the purchase card plan today and tomorrow in the Shepard Room of Phillips Brooks House.

Under the plan, a student will be able to buy a "purchase card" from NSA for a dollar. This will entitle him to a discount of from 10 to 20 percent at all the stores agreeing to the plan.

Donald L. Bornstein '50, who heads the Harvard group, is chairman for the whole Boston area, while Jarvis Moody '50 and William Gold '49 assist him. "We hope to cut student expenses considerably," Bornstein stated last night.

First Full Meeting

So far this year, the committee has been collecting information and consulting with business organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau and the Retail Board of Trade, Bornstein explained. Now holding a full rating for the first time, the committee is ready to make plans for enlisting stores and restaurants in the program, he added.

Cambridge merchants will not be asked to join in the plan in the near future, Bornstein disclosed. He reasoned that Cambridge business has a firmer grip on student trade than Boston does, and that since many of the participating colleges are in Boston, the committee will work on selling the program to Boston first. Wheaton College in Attleboro, however, has made so much progress that the Wheaton girls may be the first to enjoy the program, he said.

System Tried

Last year, the University of Buffalo tried the system, acting as a guinea pig for the nation. It was a success both for the students and for the merchants, Bornstein explained. NSA groups in Detroit, New Jersey, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Louisville are working simultaneously with the Boston committee. Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York hope to start soon, he said.

Bornstein believes that the first businesses to be contracted will be the smaller stores and restaurants, while large department stores and hotels, which are expected to need more persuasion, will be left until last.