Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-10-10
Cooperative Dining.
HOW TO LIVE cHEApLY.


A 'sSocial Science Student" describes in the
columns OF the London Times the dining rooms
for clerks ~ the Easfon Station Of the London
and North western Railway Company. As
the subject of cheap dinners for poor men is
just now one Of great scientific well as prac.
tIcal interes,-since IL is tho latest appicat,op
of the co.operative prineirle.-we give the
In the winter Of 1889 the clerks employed in
the Station became thoroughly dissatisfied
with the costly and poor food provided by the
way OF living was not successful, They bar
gained with neighbor,ng hotel keepe1s to send
them cooked joints and other provisions The
. esst proved TO be nearly the same, and there
They wisely consulted with their employers
before renewing their experiment. They were
kindly met; the directors, with a wise libe.
raIity, undertook to provide rooms, to furnish
them, TO ut up kitchen and supply all the
stock as crookeIy, cutlery, &C., which might
be needed 70 commence business with. The
OF management engaged cook and other
servants. and very soon began to dine at their
own tables. They divided the dinners into
regulars and cas1als. The Irregular was the
man who engaged to dine each day he was at
work; the "casual" only undertook to dine
when he might or when he could. r
faction. The correspon dent Of the Times
says:
sThe committee Of management appoint a
caterer, ana to him is entrusted the actual su.
perintendence Of the dinner arrangements. To
aid him a clerk 10 told OF in each Of the four
departments OF accountants, transfer, man.
ayers and audit. This clerk has q supply of
dinner tickets, of which he makes a return to
the caterer every day When from any cause
regular is found to be unable 20 dine on the
following day, ene Of the easuals-many Of
whom are always ready for the purpose
takes his place. When the caterer receives
the return OF numbers who intend to dine the
next day, he makes out his order for the
butcher, the baker, and the green grocer; who,
finding the clerks good customers-they pay
their bills every week-uake care to serve
them well. There Is always q variety of food
For instance, yesterday the bill Of fare in.
cluded roast mutton, cold roast beef, stewed
rabbits, calves head, and steak pie. The num-
Der Of diners is limited to seventy i've. be.
cause the tables will not accommodate more
A separate joint is placed on each table, dishes
OF vegetables and bread also stand there, from
which each person can take without fear of
carver. and helps his m essmates as often and
to as much meat As may be req nired. Pudding
ls served either three or four times week
Beer (Allsopp's best bitter, obtained direct
from Burton) is supplied at the rate OF three
halfpence fer each half pint. Each clerk paws
tenpence. halfpenny for his dinner now,
while before the cattle plague he only paid
ninepence. That the caterer and his assist.
ants satisfy their customers is shown by the
fact that there is always list of scasuals who
are waiting to enter the class of regular di-
ners. The only paid servants are the cook,
her as slstant, and the mattresses. The man
agement, account-Reeping, &c, are q II done
gratuitously In order to secure that there
shall be enough of meat each day, the caterer
calculates supply equal to three quarters of
pound for each diner"