%images;]> lchtml-004201 Bread and butter at Christ Church, Oxford. ...: a machine readable transcription. Lewis Carroll Scrapbook, Library of Congress Selected and converted. American Memory, Library of Congress.

Washington, DC, 2003.

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 2004/05/18
0001

BREAD and BUTTER at CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD.

The following appeal has been forwarded to us for publication:—

“To the Dean of Christ Church.

“At a meeting of the undergraduate members of the House, held on Saturday, March 4, 1865, it was unanimously resolved to present the following statement to the Dean and Canons:—

“The prices charged for certain articles by the butler are such as to cause universal dissatisfaction among the undergraduates. Among the complaints the following may be mentioned as the principal:—

“1. With regard to the battels of bread and butter. The price charged by the butler for two commons of bread and butter per diem, consisting of 1lb. 3oz. of bread and 2⅔oz. of butter, is 8d., the retail market price of which is 5d. The profit on these articles would be at least 60 per cent. The butler, buying these wholesale, makes a profit of 160 per cent.

“2. This term, in consequence of complaints of excessive profits, we are supplied at our option, with aërated bread (which is more expensive) at the same price. The aërated bread is sold to the butler at 9½d. per dozen loaves. The same loaves are sold to us at 2s. per dozen. The profit made by the butler in this case is 152 per cent. If these were sold to us at the ordinary retail price of ls. per dozen, the profit would be only 25 per cent.

“3. Great dissatisfaction also prevails with regard to the dinners and the quality of the beer as supplied in hall. Repeated minor complaints have produced no change in this respect. At most other Colleges the dinners are supplied at a cheaper rate than at Christ Church, and are, on the whole, more satisfactory.

“The undergraduate members of the House venture then respectfully to suggest:—

“1. That the butler and all other college servants be put on wages, and be no longer allowed to realize a profit on any article they sell.

“2. That the entire management of dinners and attendance in hall be intrusted to one college servant, on fixed wages.

“The undergraduates beg to call the immediate attention of the Dean to this petition, which refers only to the expense of those articles which the undergraduates are compelled by the rules of the House to buy.

“Osbert Mordaunt. “Robert Boughey. “S. P. Cockrell. “H. P. Senhouse. “A. H. Smith-Barry. “C. T. D. Acland. “S. K. Mainwaring.

“It was signed by 108 undergraduates.”