House Committee Report

The House Committee report was, briefly, as follows:

It has been the policy of the Committee this year to co-operate with the treasurer in making the income of the Union pay its expenses, so far as possible without curtailing any of the proper privileges of the club. Expenses for luxuries have been avoided so far as possible in view of the heavy extra expense caused by the high price of fuel, the increase in taxation, and the rent charged by the Corporation. For this reason the entertainments have been made as simple and inexpensive as possible, the free telephone, which was used to excess by the members, has been taken out, and open fires and afternoon tea were not offered until the recent gift of a graduate enabled the Committee to provide them.

The committee has at the same time tried to make the Union a centre of College life. The club-house was thrown open to all members of the University for the first two weeks of College and receptions were given at the beginning of the year to the Freshman class and to the members of the Law School. The senior class has had two smokers in the Union, and the other classes have each had one. Three football rallies were held in the Living Room during the fall, and there have been fourteen Tuesday entertainments. Training tables have been conducted for the University crew, football, baseball, track, and hockey teams. Fifty-one clubs and societies have held meetings in the smaller rooms during the past winter.

Toward the middle of the year abuses of the privileges of the Union became very frequent. Many men who were not members were seen using the club, many articles were taken, and the number of books missing from the library increased to lover 30. For all these reasons, and to give the students a more vivid appreciation of the fact that the Union is a club to be used by its members only, and not a College building. It was decided to enforce a system of admission by card, at the same time the clause in By-law 1, allowing persons eligible to membership to be introduced once a month was repealed. The result has been very satisfactory; so far as is known no more non-members are using the club, and the removal of books and other articles has ceased.

Membership Committee Report

The Membership Committee reported that the total membership of the Union is now 4,473, divided as follows: active members, 1,891; associate members, 880: non-resident members, 813; student life members, 31; graduate life members, 858. These figures show an increase of 88 active members over last year at this time, and a total increase of 555. If the number of members is any indication; it is evident that the Union now holds a stronger position in the University than ever before.

Besides making nominations for the annual election the Committee has done little at its meetings except to make rulings in a few cases of doubtful eligibility.

During the year a partial canvass was made of men who have not joined the Union. It was found that there are a large number of men who cannot join because the dues are beyond their means. There is another large class, however, who can afford to join, but have not done so through carelessness or indifference. It is a good thing to urge these men to join the Union. When such a splendid gift has been given to the University the least that a man who can well afford to join can do, is to give it his support by becoming a member.

Library Committee Report

The Library Committee reported in substance as follows:

At the end of last year the library had received by purchase and gift 4,781 volumes. 1,223 volumes have been added this year, making a total on April 1, 1903, of 6.004 volumes. The Committee began the current year with a balance on hand of $582.58, and the amounts received during the year have been as follows: Gifts in memory of J. S. Tebbets '80, $125; gift of William Phillips, $200; gifts of undergraduates through R. Derby, $40; interest allowed by Harvard Union, $24.60; sales of books and book-plates, $10.27. The income from invested funds is estimated as follows: From the Simes fund, $205.70; from the Hyde fund, $560; accumulated income of the Hyde fund, $906.49, making a total amount available for the current academic year of $2,654.64.

The expenditures have been: For books. $1,605.20; for periodicals, $357.85; for stamp and die, $45; total, $2,008.05, leaving a balance on hand April 1, 1903, of $646.59

The expenditure for newspapers will be about $60, but this is not charged against the library funds. This item would be far large were it not for the generosity of the Harvard clubs throughout the country which send to the Union the newspapers from their respective cities.

At the close of the present year the library will-have spent practically the whole of the $5,000 of the gift of James H. Hyde '98, assigned to immediate use, and of the accumulated income of the Hyde fund and other special gifts, which have enabled the Committee to use in the first year nearly $7,000, and during this year about $2,600. Hereafter the regular income of the two book funds, yielding together about $770, will be available besides whatever special gifts may be received. This will be small compared with the generous expenditure of the last two years, but a good library of reference books and of English literature, travel, and history, including long sets of many authors, has already been collected.

During the present year there have been added, besides numerous recent books, the works of Marryat, Henry Kingsley, George Meredith, Goldsmith, Edward Everett Hale, Hood, Lever, Gaborian, Burke, Chateaubriand, Cowper, Raleigh, Christopher North, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, Stirling Maxwell, Besant, DeFoe, and Balzac.

Other gifts received were a hall clock from the class of 1902, bow of the shell "Harvard," from T. S. Watson '99, and a framed picture of some of the University of Pennslyvania buildings.

The Natural History Society and the Yacht Club asked permission to keep their libraries in the Union, and the request was granted, the members of the Union having the use of the libraries.

There are missing from the library 39 volumes. The Committee desires very much to put a stop to the disappearance of books, but is perplexed for a way to do lit without destroying the pleasure of using the library