House Room Rents Cut Twelve Percent In Drastic Slash To Take Effect in Fall

In making the twelve per cent cut in House room rents announced yesterday, University authorities have in large measure followed the recommendations made at the end of last year by the Student Council in a special report on "Student Expenses, Aids, and Employment."

This report pointed out that the average room rent in the Houses per man has been approximately $40 higher than the room rent in the college dormitories prior to the opening of the Houses, and recommended that, "because of the financial status of the average college student, the University, if it is possible financially to do so, should make every possible effort to lower the prices of rooms within the Houses."

The Student Council report also brought out in graphic form the fact that although the number and proportion of low priced rooms in the Houses is greater than in the dormitories formerly reserved for upperclassmen, the great bulk of the new accommodations added by the House Plan have been priced at $280 and above per man, but there is need for lower priced rooms.

The Council report went on to say that "If the University should see fit to reduce the room rents in the Houses, it should be clearly pointed out that a general reduction of all room prices would not entirely alleviate an undesirable situation now existing in certain of the Houses. For example, the average price of single rooms in Winthrop House is $474 while in Lowell House the average is $350, and the average price in double rooms in Leverett House is $317 as compared to $246 in Dunster House. Such figures show clearly that in making any revision in prices the University should at least investigate thoroughly the problem of setting the room prices in all the Houses on a more equal basis."