Charity Drive Fails to Meet $14,000 Goal

The Combined Charities Drive began its last door-to-door solicitation last night having collected only $3600 toward its $14,000 goal, Gregory B. Stone '58, drive chairman, announced last evening.

The final total was not yet known, Stone said, but he predicted that the $14,000 goal would be "way above what we take in." The drive has fallen far behind last year's collections, which totaled $10,000. Average contributions have dropped from $4.50 last year to $3.00.

Stone explained the drop in contributions as part of a steady downward trend in nation-wide student drive totals which began after World War II. "This is a universal thing based on a lack of real emergencies," he asserted, adding that "more and more publicity doesn't seem to do any good."

One effect of the low total may be a reduction in the amount of money contributed to Phillips Brooks House, the only University organization specifically included in the drive. P.B.H. had budgeted $2500 to $3000 in money to be received from the drive, Peter N. Stearns '57 vice-president of the organization, said last night.

If the group does not receive this much, "we'll have to find it somewhere else or cut down on our activities," Stearns said.