Universal $8.50 House Food Rate Will Be Put Into Effect This Morning

The universal meal rate which 60% of the College voted for last May will officially go into effect in all the House dining halls starting with this morning's breakfast. The purpose in replacing last year's option of signing for 21 meals at $10, for 14 meals at $8.50, or for 10 meals at $7.50 by a uniform board rate of $8.50 per week for 21 meals is to lower the living costs of the majority of students resident at the College.

In order further to simplify the system of paying for meals, the payment for guests, extras, cigarettes, the Eliot Grille, etc., will be required at the time of service and will be made with coupons issued by the Bursar's Office. This will obviate the extra pink slips, guest slips and the added bookkeeping which was necessary under last year's system.

These coupons, in books of ten dollars' worth, will be on sale at all Dining Rooms, the Eliot Grille, and the Bursar Office, and will be charged for on the term bills. The Bursar's card must be shown at the time of purchase.

Aside from these two changes--the universal $8.50 board rate and the use of coupon books, both of which will be charged by the student--there will be no difference in procedure. The same old table cards will be used whenever the student sits down for a meal in his own House. If he has a friend from another House over for lunch, he will go through the same slip-signing process as he did last year. But if he has a guest, or buys cigarettes, or gets a sirloin steak and three extra grapefruits at supper, then he must use some of the five cent coupons in his ten dollar book.

Long-History

The whole problem of cutting down on food rates was dragged through many a Student Council meeting and undergraduate poll last year. First the idea of self-service was brought up, voted on, and rejected. Then, on May 26, the Student Council voted 60 to 30 per cent in favor of a universal rate. It was feared, however, that this was not a sufficiently strong majority to warrant action by the Master's Sub-Committee on Board Rates, until Dean Hanford announced the new plan on June 19.

Since no change has been made in the rules regarding relief from board charges at the discretion of the House Masters, it is believed that the new system will benefit a large majority of the students. It is, however, only an experiment and the reservation is made that, in the event of a substantial rise in the cost of labor and food, the announced rate is subject to revision in the second half of the year