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55
at frequent intervals to review cases authorised, has been literally
followed, and all possible precautions have been taken to prevent
any abuse of these facilities. Early in the year the Maternity and
Child Welfare Committee considered that three cases in which the
wages were misstated were 'deliberate attempts to obtain goods
under false circumstances, and were regretfully compelled to institute
Police Court proceedings, with the result that one applicant was
filled 40s. or twenty-eight days, and the other two 20s. and 20s.
costs and 21s. and 21s. costs respectively. It may be added that
every care is taken to obviate overlapping on the part of the
Guardians and ourselves, and for this reason immediately the week's
applications are authorised information is sent to (he Clerks of the
Greenwich and Woolwich Guardians as to the families grantjed
milk and the quantities allowed.
It may be explained here that milk is given free only in
necessitous circumstances, a family being judged necessitous when
the income per head per week, after deducting rent is not more
than 8s. Those above this scale are able to purchase these commodities
at practically cost price.

With regard to the milk question I have always found that the
use of a guaranteed full cream dried milk gives satisfactory results,
and whilst representing a little more trouble to prepare for the use
of infants than ordinary fresh milk, is, in my opinion, preferable
to the latter on account of the dried milk being uniformly clean
and containing a minimum of harmful bacteria. One pound of
dried milk is approximately the equivalent of one gallon of fresh
tnilk.
The number of dinners supplied to nursing and expectant
mothers was 2,629. All these mothers were in necessitous circumstances,
and the extra food was specially ordered by the Medical
Officer in attendance at the Clinic as necessary to improve the
health of the recipient. The dinners were provided at local dining