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99
The total sales thus rendered was 909,167 lb., or
8.3 lb. per head of the population.
For purposes of comparison and general interest, 1
obtained at the same time particulars of the sales of
milk and butter. The replies gave totals of 4,425,252
quarts of milk and 683,696 lb. of butter, equivalent to
40.5 quarts and 6.26 lb. per head respectively. The
full significance of these figures is only seen when we
express them in terms of a family of 5 persons pex
week wjhen the amounts are 7¾ pints of milk, 06 lb.
margarine and 0.8 lb. of butter. Even lumping ther
butter and margarine together it only amounts to
1.4 lb. per week.
More striking still is the comparison of these figures
for Bethnal Green with those for the country as a
whole.
Estimated consumption per head Great Bethnal
per annum. Britain Green
Milk 22.6galls. 10.1 galls.
Butter 21. 5 lb. 6.26 lb.
Margarine 131b. 8.31b.
The average resident in Bethnal Green gets less
than half the national ration of milk, less than a third
of buttter and only a little more than half of margarine.
Margarine is of course very valuable as a cheaper
fat than butter and equally wholesome, but unless
vitamins are specially added it is not really a substitute
for butter.
Having regard to the relatively high cost of the
other vitamin.containing foods like greengrocery and
fruit, butter is an essential article of working.class diet
and the low consumption of this valuable food is a disquieting
feature of this inquiry. The consumption of
milk is also seriously low, compared with the requirements
of the child population.
I have to express my great appreciation of the
courtesy and public spirit of the shopkeepers who so
readily and thoroughly complied with my request for
information.