Steiner Requests Harvard Examine Selling Beer, Wine

Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel to the University, recommended Wednesday that Harvard investigate purchasing a license to sell beer and wine.

In an address to the Committee on Housing and Undergraduate Life, Steiner said Harvard should work on those problems involved with buying a license should the University become eligible for one.

Kenneth W. Robbins, a research director for the state legislature, said Wednesday that universities cannot presently buy a license to sell beer and wine to anyone under 18 due to a "legislative oversight."

"In lowering the drinking age, the legislature failed to change the law dealing with university licenses," he said Wednesday.

Bars and Restaurants

Robbins pointed out that the legislature had also failed to include bars and restaurants in its legislation. Presently only packaged alcohol can be sold to 18-year-olds, he said.

If the law is changed, Steiner said there would still be a question of how many licenses Harvard would have to buy.

"The Food Services may be able to buy one license to cover all the Houses, or we may have to buy a separate license for each House," he said.

At $500 each, this could be a substantial investment. We will have to discuss this with the Cambridge Licensing Board," Steiner added.

Harvard now owns licenses for Harkness and the Med School, and Steiner said sales there have been poor.

"It is not a matter of whether we want a license," Steiner said, "but whether it makes sense administratively and economically."