London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Willesden 1916
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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108
Clothing.
From information supplied the cost per annum for a
child of ten is at present not less than 30s., or approximately,
7d. per week.
Sundries.
These include bedding, washing, cleaning, crockery,
furniture for which a sum of 2.69d., or approximately 3d.
per head per week is the average in the cases of the above
13 families.
From the foregoing it will therefore be seen that the cost of up-keep of a child of ten years exclusive of rent and insurance, is as follows:—
| s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 3 | 4 |
| Lighting and Fuel | 0 | 7 |
| Clothing | 0 | 7 |
| Sundries | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 4 | 9 |
As the family to be considered by the Education Committee
includes only the parents or guardians or older sisters
looking after the home and not working, and children under
14 years of age, it is probable that the cost of a child of
ten years is slightly below the average cost per head of the
family, and this should be taken into consideration in fixing
the scale at which children are to be fed.
Size of Family and Economic Circumstances.
It is usually the case that a small family shows relatively
high economic circumstances per head, although the total
amount at the disposal of the head of the family is small.
Scale Suggested.
Having regard to the foregoing facts I would suggest
a sliding scale on the following basis:—