  We present radial-velocity measurements obtained using high- and
intermediate-resolution spectroscopic observations of the classical T Tauri
star UZ Tau East obtained from 1994 to 1996. We also provide measurements of
H$\alpha$ equivalent widths and optical veiling. Combining our radial-velocity
data with those recently reported by Prato et al. (2002), we improve the
orbital elements for this spectroscopic binary. The orbital period is
18.979$\pm$0.007 days and the eccentricity is e=0.14. We find variability in
the H$_\alpha$ emission and veiling, signposts of accretion, but at periastron
passage the accretion is not as clearly enhanced as in the case of the binary
DQ Tau. The difference in the behaviour of these two binaries is consistent
with the hydrodynamical models of accretion from circumbinary disks because UZ
Tau East has lower eccentricity than DQ Tau. It seems that enhanced periastron
accretion may occur only in systems with very high eccentricity (e$>$0.5).
