Studies of Dining Halls Planned To Minimize Rise in Board Rates

Major new economies must be effected in the operation of the College dining halls or the board rate will rise to at least $630, Dean Bundy warned yesterday. Some increase in the present $590 rate seems inevitable, regardless of any innovations the Dining Hall Department introduces, but by means of "careful studies," the Administration hopes to minimize the cost.

With rising food and labor charges, the Department will incur a deficit of about $150,000 this year unless radical changes are made. University regulations require that the College dining halls not operate at a loss, and state that any deficit will be charged to undergraduates.

Three plans were presented at the joint student-administration meeting as money-saving alternatives to the present system:

1) Each student, after entering the serving line, would receive a tray already filled with food. This suggestion would reduce the number of food handlers and save on labor costs, about 41 per cent of the Dining Hall Department's budget.

2) Some of the House dining halls could be closed for one or more meals during the weekend. Charles H. Taylor, Master of Kirkland House, criticized this proposal strongly; he pointed out that House dining halls are often more crowded on Saturdays and Sundays than during other parts of the week.

3) The number of food servers could be cut in half by allowing students to serve themselves, again reducing labor costs. Although soup and entrees would still be doled out by employees, the rest of the meal would be buffet style.

Any or all of these alternatives will be tested in the Houses in the next few months. Arthur D. Trottenberg '48, Manager of Operating Services, and Carle T. Tucker, head of the Dining Hall Department, will survey the results of the experiments, and by the start of the Spring term may suggest a concrete program to minimize the increase in board costs.