Student Vote on Food Items Set for Thursday Noon Meal

With final preparation completed yesterday, the Student Council Food Relief Committee ballot to determine student opinion on proposed cuts in dining hall and Union menus will be presented to Undergraduates and to Law and Graduate students eating at the Union at the noon meal Thursday, the Committee revealed last night.

The ballot will consist of a total of six items, upon which students will be asked to vote yes or no, depending on willingness to cooperate on any or all of the six measures. Included for consideration are the following proposals: elimination or breads for dinner; a milk limit of one glass per meal; elimination of cakes or cookies with ice cream; 15 percent curtailments in meat and fish supplies; removal of dessert from noon meal; elimination of all wheat cereals.

25 Cents per Student per Week

If all the proposed measures are carried through, the resulting reduction in food costs will amount to 25 cents per week per student, or a total of $750 dollars weekly for the 3000 students polled. Money saved in this manner will be turned over to the Student Council, who will in turn present it to reputable relief organizations for the purchases of food for Europe.

In addition to the monetary saving effected by proposed reductions, Richard D. Campbell '48, co-Chairman, pointed out another indirect benefit accrueing from Harvard belt-tightening. This gain will come from the weekly elimination of 1600 lbs. of wheat from University larders.

Although "it cannot be claimed that the wheat saved by Harvard alone will be sent abroad," a statement prepared by the Committee to be distributed with the ballot declares that the saving by Harvard, "along with the action of other colleges--notably Bryn Mawr, Vassar, Haverford, Oberlin, Swarthmore, and Radcliffe--as part of a general program will mean less demand on domestic grain markets. This in turn will result in larger supplies available for transshipment abroad."

Wheat Goes to UNRRA

This wheat, Campbell explained, would eventually find its way to the UNRRA for probably distribution to Europe. Furthermore, the money saved by the program will be turned over directly to such approved agencies as the Friends Service Committee and the Unitarian Service Committee, both of which operate under the President's War Relief Control Board. These groups will use it principally to buy goods for areas not yet covered by the UNRRA, notably Fraince. As a result student contributions will then be made to cover the widest possible area.

Although no plans have been made for a poll of the Business School, the College Student Council Committee revealed that it will ask the Business School Student Council to consider the plan after its election next week.

Whatever final action is taken will be effective for a trial period until the June recess the committee emphasized.