H. A. A.

The H. A. A. announced today certain changes in its plans for the coming year. The most important of those was the decision to charge all men, including for the first time those on the Varsity and other teams, the regular fee for a participation ticket; the football teams, however, and the others using the Dillon Field House, are exempted from the tax. As was pointed out in these columns last year, the application of the charge to those on teams as well as to others is a good move. Since the members of the teams presumably participate because they wish to, and since they derive as much if not more advantage from the athletic facilities of the University as students, in individual or intramural sports they should be required to shoulder an equal share of the burden. The Athletic Association is now laboring under a deficit carried over from last year; until the football receipts are known, it will be impossible to tell how much must be saved this year; but in any case, it is evident that no saving can be superfluous, if only for the reason that the present cost of participation tickets is too high, and should be reduced when finances permit.

The move of the Association, however, is only a compromise, and for that reason is not fully satisfactory. Instead of charging all the members of teams for the use of facilities, it has excepted certain sections of the group. Obviously, the sum taken in from the tax should be made as large as possible; but if merely for reasons of fairness, all should be charged, in proportion to equipment used, alike. The University demands of the H.A.A. a reduction of the deficit, so far as possible; the student body has an equal right to demand of the Association a fair tax, and general regard for their interests.

This regard for the interests of the undergraduate should take form of a progressive lowering of the cost of participation fees and locker fees, either or both. The inclusion of all in the tax will serve as a foundation stone for the eventual lowering of the tax; this foundation should be strengthened by a reasonable curtailment of team trips. The Association has a delicate three-sided task before it: it must treat with impartiality its obligations to the students and to the University; and, further, it must arrange to deal equably with both those students who are members of teams and those who are not. Difficult as this task may be, its performance can be the only excuse for the continuance of the H.A.A.