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62
The relative importance of the factors in operation may vary.
in different localities, but some of them operate in all districts throughout
the country and Acton is fairly representative of the conditions
which obtain in most districts in and around London.
The practice of spacing the family has become prevalent and
there is not the slightest doubt that the use of contraceptive methods
has spread throughout the population. Living conditions and economic
conditions are important factors, but it is not argued that
they are the only ones because until recently the fall in the birth-rate
was least marked in the lower-income classes of the community
but at the present time the size of the family is getting smaller in
all classes. In the report upon the Overcrowding Survey in Acton
it was pointed out that overcrowding has become less prevalent
here primarily owing to the diminishing size of the family. The
number of families has increased relatively more than the number of
new houses, but overcrowding has lessened because the average
number in each family is getting less. Some of the obstacles
to family life are familiar to most observers. . The uncertain political
and economic outlook, the rising standards of life affect all
classes, but the difficulty of obtaining houses at a reasonable rent
probably rests more heavily on the so-called working classes
Rents have risen at a greater rate than wages, and the ordinary
artisan and unskilled labourer find it very difficult to obtain houscat
a rent which they can afford. It is also well known that private
landlords and even municipal authorities are averse to letting houses
to those who have large families. Even if a man with a large
family is successful in obtaining a house with sufficient accommodation,
the rent demanded frequently has to be paid at the expense
of the nutrition of his family. Sir John Orr stated recently that
half of the population do not obtain the food which would conform
with the highest, standard ; some people have even insufficient
calories, whilst in the case of the others, the food was deficient in
protective foods and therefore in vitamins or minerals. This
inevitably involves the further fact that a number of men, womer
and children in this country are, to put it bluntly, half-starved.
We have no records here which would enable us to estimate the number
of families who are undernourished and who cannot afford the
necessary food, but the School Feeding Centres and the Free milk.
Scheme are sufficient evidence of their existence. We have amd
yet learnt how to wed agriculture to the public health. Food
prices are kept high by laws which impose fines for growing more
than an authorised quantity of potatoes, or for selling milk under 2
certain official minimum price. Quite recently a memorandum
was issued by the Ministry of Health asking Maternity and Child
Welfare Committees to relax their regulations respecting the supply