Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-12


not lunch, and supplying lunches
cheaply, attractively and quickly is
a major part Of the $1,000 900 an
nual business of the Welfare and
Recreational Association, which
operates some Is cafeterias and
lunch counters in the various Gov
eminent buildings. Some of these
eating places serve breakfast, but
the bulk of the business is done at
lunch time, and it Is the job of the
cafeterias to give the workers a
nourishing, tasty luncheon at a
price that a 81 ,260-a-year clerk can
pay and to serve it within the half
hour period usually allowed for
the noontime repast.
Some 10000 meals day are served
by the food emporiums of the as
ISOLATION, with cafeterias in the
Navy Department, the Government
Printing Once and the Department
Of Agriculture dispensing additional
thousands of meals through organi-
cations that are not connected with
Welfare and Recreational. The as
ISOLATION is, however, by far the
largest purveyor of food to hungry
Government workers-having put
out, for example, ga, $40 meals dur
ing the month Of July. The cafe
terra in the new Interior DEPART
ment Building, one Of the largest,
averaged more than 1000 meals .
day during that month.
AL Accountant, Carl Chemist, Sal
ly Steno and their hundred odd
thousand comrades in the Govern
ment service are thinking, perhaps,
Of the best 25-cent lunch selection
they can make as they stand in line
before the steam-tables. They make
their choice, are quickly served, pay
their checks and seat themselves at
one of the scores of tables. But
back of this speedy service and
nutritious, inexpensive food, which
they take for granted, are hours of
preparation and planning by ex-
perts.
Runs Smoothly.
Minute preparations are required
to enable banks to do their enor-
nous volume of business in short
banking hours; and, similarly, great
care and skill are necessitated in
serving three or four thousand
meals within a couple of hours.
Trained heads carefully direct this
smooth functioning machinery, and
trained hands deity do their jobs
as the long queues Of hungry work.
ers file along the serving counters.
The cafeteria managers are all
graduates in dietetics and trained
by experience in handling the job
of mass feeding. Each Of the many
supervisors has been especially
trained in food selection and prep
aration. and the man who buys
the meats and fresh vegetables also
is an expert in his field.
An enormous amount Of physical
labor is involved in preparing and
serving the food, in cleaning up the
tables, washing the dishes and
sterilizing the various utensils. Just
how much work goes into this job
is indicated by the size of the staff
Of dietitians, supervisors. cooks, bus
boys, serving girls and other work.
ers employed by the association.
About $50 workers are hired for
these jobs. and in summer, when
the outdoor concessions are in OPP
Grafton, the number rises to some
100. Thus, that "two-bit" lunch
is part of a 5000 900 business CIV
ing employment to an average of
about 1000 workers.
Profits from this enterprise do
not, however, accrue to some plush
lined restaurant magnate, who lolls
luxuriously in his yacht while the
25-cent pieces roll In. The organi-
zation which operates the cafeterias
is non-profit distributing. Halt Of
the net above expenses goes into
the miscellaneous receipts OF the
Treasury in return for the use Of
space and facilities in the Govern
ment buildings. Last year Uncle
Sam picked up more than $4,000
from this source.
Remaining profits 60 into new
equipment, expansion, better facin-
ties and additional conveniences for
the customers. There are no stock
holders, no dividends and, Incl
dentally, no subsidies.
The cafeterias and lunch counters
operated by the Welfare and Recre-
ational Association vary in size from
small establishments, such as that
at the National Health Institute at
Bethesda, Nd, which serves some
200 meals q month, to the man.
moth setup in the new South In
terror Building. which passes over
the counter more than $4,000 in
dividual repasts every 30 days. The
new Interior cafeteria was the scene
recently Of q luncheon for the Ma
tional Postmasters' Association, In
session here. About 1000 persons
Toasted in the huge cafeteria in
tho basement Of Secretary Ickes'
new building.