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10
I am informed by the Education Officer that the
average number of necessitous school children provided with free meals of some kind at public elementary schools in the Borough during the year was 1,036
(milk), and 45 (dinners). This number of children
is surprisingly small in view of the widespread
poverty in the Borough. The number of children
obtaining cheap milk under the scheme of the Milk
Marketing Board is not known.
Economic enquiries made in connection with
applications for various Maternity and Child Welfare
services continue to indicate that a very large portion
of the population is living at a low level.
PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURE.
During the financial year 1936-37, the cost of the
Public Health service was £25,603, or 5s. 5d. per head
of the population, equivalent to a rate of 1. 0½d. in
the £.
THE HEALTH SERVICES IN THE BOROUGH.
The Borough Council is recognised by statute as
the local health authority, but many important
health services are still outside its jurisdiction and
indeed health functions are exercised by an extraordinary diversity of agencies. The number of these
agencies has been somewhat reduced by the legislation of recent years, but there seems much need for
further simplification. The Borough Council is the