In speaking to Mr. Moore, former Kirkland House kitchen employee and now butcher at the Boston City Club, the Committee was astonished to learn that in his opinion 10 to 15% of all the meat cut in the House kitchens is wasted through incompetent butchering.
The Committee's conclusion is that the examples of waste cited above are indicative of widespread inefficiency in the preparation of food at Harvard that would never be tolerated in a restaurant that had to cover its costs without a guaranteed elientele. It appears that the dining hall authorities do not know that certain dishes have deteriorated greatly when served, or else they condone unsatisfactory methods of preparation and serving and do not care to improve them.
VII
Conclusions and Recommendations
The Committee is convinced that the present board rate is not a reasonable charge for the food and service given. The Committee concludes: (1) that the quality of the food as served could be greatly improved by better preparation and more careful choice of menus, and (2) that the rate could be considerably reduced without lowering the quality of the food. Just how much the rate could be lowered is impossible to determine in advance. But it is worthwhile to cite estimates made by men thoroughly familiar with the set-up and operation of the dining halls. One estimates that the same food and service could be provided for $7.00 a week (for 21 meals) instead of for $10.00 as at present. The other, not quite so optimistic, feels that the rate for 21 meals could be reduced to $8.50. Quite possibly these estimated reductions are exaggerated, but they indicate clearly the substantial savings to House residents which could be effected through greater efficiency.
The administration of the dining halls is a very complex business. Annually $500,000 worth of food and supplies pass through the hands of the man who is in charge of the dining halls. Without the greatest care and constant supervision laxness and waste are bound to creep in. On the basis of its investigation, the Committee makes the following recommendations, designed to eliminate these defects:
1. The appointment of a dietitian to be permanently attached to the staff of the dining halls, in order to insure balanced and sufficiently varied meals of good quality.
2. The hiring of an expert in the adminstration of large dining halls to make a survey of the present setup at Harvard with a view to improving its efficiency.
The Committee believes that if the Houses are to remain attractive social units, and if the important idea back of President Conant's "dinner-table education" is to continue to be effective, students must not be allowed to feel, and with justice, that they are being over charged for the food served to them. Respectfully submitted. Student Council Committee on Board in the Houses Henry A. Burgess '40, Chairman Langdon Burwell '41 Seth C. Crocker '41 John V. Frank '41 William C. Hurtt '40 Robert A. James '41 James D. Lightbody Jr. '40 Charles O. Porter '41 Morton G. Wurtele '40