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29
The quantity of fresh and dried milk supplied to necessitous
cases under the Assisted Milk Supply Scheme during the year was as
follows:—
Fresh milk 16,414⅜ galls., costing £1,481 4s. 3d.
Dried milk 4,201 lbs., costing £311 3s. 4d.
These figures demonstrate that a smaller quantity of free milk
was supplied during this year, and a considerable saving of expenditure
thereby obtained.
At first sight it would appear that the Maternity and Child
Welfare Committee has attempted to economise in the amount of
free milk supplied to ante-natal and nursing mothers and children
under five years of age. This is not the case, for the Scale for the
supply of free milk has been so amended as to take into consideration
the unborn child, thus raising the number to be considered as
members of the family and bringing an even larger number of
families within the Scale. The fact that despite this the milk
supplied has decreased in quantity must, therefore, be due to the
lessening of unemployment in the district, or, alternatively, to the
obtaining of more continuous employment. I am inclined to think
that the increasing prosperity of the country has made it possible
to make the Scale even more generous and yet grant a smaller
supply of milk.
Every care and attention has been taken to see that applicants
come within the Scale, whilst the Health Visitors have co-operated
in seeing that all those mothers and children entitled and in need of
milk obtain it.
This decrease in the quantity supplied can, therefore, be looked
upon with satisfaction in that it is a sign of increased prosperity
and diminution of unemployment within the district.
ROUTINE MEDICAL INSPECTION OF CHILDREN UNDER
FIVE YEARS OF AGE.
This scheme, which was inaugurated in April, 1933, was continued
throughout the whole of 1934. The following table shews
the result of this work
Total number of appointments made 6,780
Total number kept 2,231
Total number of additional examinations 960
It will be seen that roughly one-third of the appointments are
kept. This table compares with the following table for the last
nine months of 1933:—
Total number of appointments made 4,102
Total number kept 1,769
Total number of additional examinations 562