92 Chicago Bureau of Public Efficiency 



registers are used in the German Building refectory alone, 



and even yet the cash from cigar sales is kept in a drawer 



under the counter. The purchase of an ornate electric 



cash register for use of the soda fountain cashier was a 



useless extravagance, as this cash is susceptible of simple 



control through specially numbered tickets. The system 



fails to provide in any way for recording the number of 



portions of the several dishes served. Blank cardboard 



sales tickets are charged in quantity to each waitress in 



the Washington and Jackson Park establishments, and 



on these she is supposed to write the order of each guest. 



The waitresses, however, often fail to show the detail of 



the order and subsequent checking on that basis is thus 



prevented. 



In ascertaining the above apparent reasons for losses, the 



Bureau's investigators were impressed with the importance of 



and the necessity for an experienced restaurant man to act as 



general manager of the refectories and lunch rooms. The present 



general manager was promoted to the position from that of 



teamster and timekeeper. 



The Commissioners operate an ice cream factory at their 

 central plant in Washington Park, which furnishes the ice cream 

 and soda fountain syrups sold at the park refectories and lunch 

 rooms. The equipment represents an investment of approxi- 

 mately $2,800, exclusive of the value of the building occupied. 

 The factory refrigerating room also accommodates the other 

 perishable food stores which are issued to the refectories and 

 lunch rooms. 



It has been customary to charge the factory with all expenses 

 incident to its operation and to credit it with the value of the 

 output, computed at prices which the parks would have been 

 compelled to pay had the ice cream been purchased on the market. 

 The accounts maintained have reflected a gain and loss during 

 the last 5 years as follows: 



Profit in 1906 $ 564.00 



Loss in 1907 1,852.00 



Profit in 1908 3,542.00 



Profit in 1909 237.00 



Profit in 1910 1,451.00 



