University of Virginia Library

Beef Shortage

pound next week, Food Services would increase its price of
bacon on the menu by a penny. The University's Data
Processing Center is presently preparing a system to administer
the weekly price adjustments on Food Services approximately
1200 food items.

Such adjustments in food prices will not affect, however,
the price Food Services charges for a contract meal ticket in
Sept. Mr. fontana said that the price for meal tickets has
already been set and published for the next year, so it is too
late to alter without great difficulty and confusion. The 1price
of a meal ticket for the 1973-74 session will be substantially
higher as it is–$580, as compared to last year's price of $460.

Mr. Fontana explained that "part of the increase
was in added variety in the food menu and specialty nights.
Also figured into the price jump was a 15 per cent pay hike
authorized for all state employees beginning July 1. Some food
cost increases were estimated into the current meal ticket
price, Mr. Fontana said, but not nearly enough to cover the
runaway prices since the lift of the freeze.

He discounted, however, the possibility that Food Services,
in order to cut costs in the contract program, would reduce
their offerings to contract ticket holders, either in quantity or
variety.

As the situation looks now, Mr. Fontana said, Food
Services is going to take a loss on its contract cafeteria. "I
don't think we're e going to be hurt as badly as we were this
year," he said. and with the meat stockpiles, Food Services
hopes to ride out both the meat shortages of August and the
price increases coming after Sept. 12.

While that prediction may not offer much solace to harried
housewives desperately searching the meat counters for that
last, nonexistent bargain, it will certainly give relief to all the
confirmed carnivores attending the University this summer and
in the fall.