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61
As a result of careful enquiry in local shops and markets, it appears that
the minimum cost of the food necessary for an adult male is between 6/6d.
and 7/- per week. The lower figure implies more than average skill in buying.
From a table of relative requirements given in the Ministry memorandum,
it is possible to estimate the cost of food necessary for the women and
children of the family once that of the adult male has been agreed.
There are dangers in this method of approach. A minimum always
tends to be accepted as a maximum and in thinking on the lines here considered,
we must constantly remind ourselves that below the minimum lie
malnutrition and lessened resistance to infection. We should always aim
at a reasonably wide margin of safety.
The minimum cost figure given above is that for an individual in sound
health. Many of the cases, however, that come to be considered in connection
with the work of this Department are not normal and require an excess
of special articles of diet, for example, milk, butter and eggs, which considerably
increase the cost of the week's food supply.
Good food is probably more important to health than any other single
factor, and for that reason it would be of great assistance if an official estimate
of the cost of food necessary to maintain an individual in health were made
available and kept up to date.
There are many questions that cannot be satisfactorily considered in the
absence of a clear idea on this point. For example, should pressure be
brought to bear on a family to pay more rent in order to move from a house
in which they are living under overcrowded conditions? The answer must
largely depend upon the effect that the move will have upon the food supply
of the family.
A further important Ministry of Health Circular upon Nutrition (No.
1290) was issued in October. This deals with "Nutritional Ansemia in Infancy"
and "Rickets and Dental Disease" and stresses the importance of
giving milk to nursing and expectant mothers and to babies and young
children, in order to combat and prevent these diseases.
Reference to the Maternity and Child Welfare section of this Report will
show that this Authority makes full use of its power to grant allowances of
milk.
Talks on food and on wise buying were continued at the Welfare Centres
throughout the year, and it is clear that a large number of housewives take
a great interest in this subject, and are anxious to learn and to apply their
knowledge in their own homes.
Registration of Food Premises.
The London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1932, Section 5, requires
that premises used or proposed to be used (i) for the sale or manufacture
or storage of ice cream or other similar commodity, or (n) for the preparation
e