Med School Dean Denies Expansion Charges os SDS

Robert H. Ebert, Dean of the Medical School, yesterday denied SDS charges on the tearing down of workers' homes to build a Harvard-backed hospital. He issued a statement explaining the background of the construction and answered questions at a faculty meeting open to students and at an open meeting last night.

Ebert appointed a committee of students and faculty "to explore the potential problems and hardships which might accrue to those living in the area to be occupied by the hospital." The committee will be charged `with making recommendations to the School about how such problems and hardships can be alleviated.

Ebert added that he expected that the committee will consult with members of the affected community.

Ebert also said that President Pusey had consulted him before the bust on Wednesday morning about possible courses of action. Ebert did not say what he advised Pusey or what he believed about calling in the police.

The faculty considered a resolution by Phillip L. Isenberg, Instructor in Psychiatry that:

* The methods SDS used to take over University Hall were unacceptable;

* The Administration response to the takeover was also unacceptable;

* The Administration should have consulted the Faculty and students in more depth before taking action;

* The president should appoint a committee to investigate the way such decisions are made.

The resolution did not come to a vote. The faculty decided to postpone action until they were able to receive more information. Eric G. Ball, Edward S. Wood Professor of Biological Chemistry, asked for the postponement on the grounds that the faculty would be guilty of precisely the kind of action they were condemning if they acted without first hearing all sides.

Students had planned a meeting after the open meeting to discuss ways of supporting the strike at the College and a possible strike of Med students. The student meeting was postponed, however, because the open meeting lasted until 10:30 p.m. and many med students had either gone to bed or were working at the hospitals.

In his statement concerning expansion, Ebert said that Harvard began to acquire property for two building in 1964. One of the buildings will be built in about two years and will displace about 160 tenants. The other building, scheduled to be built in about five years, will displace about 42 tenants. Ebert said that the rents which Harvard now charged those tenants bring very little income. "Harvard does not consider these properties an investiment. Wee could have gotten a much larger return on our investment if we had left the funds with the treasurer," he said.

Ebert also said that efforts are being made to find new homes for the tenants to replace the ones that will be destroyed. This is being done through a relocation agency which Assistant Dean Henry C. Meadow, Associate Dean of Medicine For Financial Affairs described as "a benevolent real estate agency" hired to relocate.