COST OF BOARD AT THE COMMONS AND GRILL

A report recently issued by the College Auditor, Mr. H. C. Edgerton, relative to the cost of board at the College Commons and at the Grill reveals several interesting facts. The most important of these revelations is that the reputed high cost of living at the college dining rooms is a figment of the imagination. Of course, the price of board in Hanover, as elsewhere in the United States, has increased noticeably during the last ten years, but this increase is no greater here than in the country at large. Moreover, students can and do live as cheaply at the Commons as at the various private clubs and restaurants which the town affords.

The figures tabulated by Mr. Edgerton show that the average weekly expenditure for board at the Commons is $4.01 per student, and that the similar average at the Grill is $4.56 per student. The computation of these averages was made on the basis of twenty meals a week; Sunday breakfast for obvious reasons was not included. Statistics were gathered by the keeping of an accurate record of the number of persons served during a typical week in December. To remove the possibility of error, all second orders were deducted from the total number of orders, and in all cases of doubt, the benefit was given to the lower number of persons.

The fact must not be overlooked that these figures give only average results; that many men expend far more than the average; and that, consequently, many other men must be paying far less than four dollars per week for their board.

It is worth noting further, that the number of students obtaining breakfasts at the Commons and Grill is approximately one hundred less than that of those procuring lunches and dinners. The Grill provides about sixty per cent of the breakfasts served, but only about thirty per cent of the lunches and dinners. The most popular meal, as indicated by the average price, is the regular combination lunch at the Commons. The difference between the average prices of meals at the Commons and at the Grill is far less than one would naturally be led to expect.

In the summary given below, the second and third columns denote respectively the average number of persons served at the different meals and the average. amount expended a meal by each person:

THE COMMONS Breakfasts 169 10.82 cents Lunches 372 25.60 " Dinners. 357 22.42 "

THE GRILL Breakfasts 273 12.30 " Lunches; 172 27.67 " Dinners 160 26.92 "