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Provision of Meals. 129
to nine families, and were 29 in number. On further
enquiry it was found that in the case of three families,
embracing eight children, the malnutrition was not due
to the want of food, of which they apparently received
sufficient, but due to some weakness of constitution
To provide for the other 21, who were certainly in need
of help, was the problem. A communication was sent
by the Town Clerk to the Board of Education, suggesting
that, in these cases, which were so few in number,
the Local Education Authority might supply food by
means of coupons available at eating houses. The
Board expressed disapproval of the suggestion, and stated
that they considered that special care should be taken
by the authority to see that the meals were provided
under as satisfactory conditions as possible, and that
careful supervision over the dietary and the service and
conduct of the meals was exercised by the Authority's
officials.
To make provision for 21 children coming from widely
separate parts of the town by the usual method suggested
by the Board would not only be difficult, but expensive.
For such cases it appears to me that the provision of a
milk meal, without the usual formalities of a formal meal,
with its service and attendance, would meet the need if
the Board would only sanction the procedure under
the Education (Provision of Meals) Acts. Perhaps after
all, it might be still more advisable in such necessitous
cases to provide the milk for consumption by the children
at home under the supervision of their mothers,
and under a certain amount of supervision by the School
Nurses, who could see that the children requiring milk
receive it.