HSA Board Members Meet to Decide Future of Harvard Newspaper Service

Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) board members met last night to decide whether to replace the defunct Harvard Delivery News Service (HDNS) as deliverers of the New York Times and Boston Globe, Dan Delvecchio, an HSA member, said yesterday.

No decision will be announced until first discussed with University officials, Delvecchio said.

John Howe, an assistant to Archie C. Epps III, the dean of students, said yesterday that he believes that Harvard does not have any alternate plans to provide delivery service if HSA declines the delivery concession.

"If HSA says no, we would have to act swiftly and independently of Harvard University to provide the New York Times to students at the student discount," Theodore C. Tracy, the greater Boston circulation manager for the Times said, adding that "in the past the Times' hands have been tied by the Harvard administration."

Tracy added that even if HSA agrees, delivery could only begin at the end of this month at the earliest.

Officials of the Globe said that they had several back-up plans if HSA turns down the concession, but declined to elaborate.

The University gave HSA first option on delivery, Tracy said, adding that he felt that other organizations should have been allowed to present their cases to Harvard.

Epps offered the exclusive option to the agency because "HSA seemed the logical alternative" to HDNS, Howe said, adding that "because HSA already has a delivery system, more than any other group it has the apparatus" in place to begin delivery promptly.

Heavily in debt and reeling from years of alleged mismanagement, HDNS went out of business at the beginning of the semester. Students have not received either the Globe or the Times since that time.