DOUBLING THE STANDARD OF LIVING SIR,—Ever since Mr. R. A.
Butler won the Nebulosity Oscar for claiming to double the standard of living in twenty-five years, I have been wondering just what that expression meant. I have, however, now worked out a formula which I am prepared to sell to either party for a seat in the House of Lords. Its advantage is that it can start right in tomorrow with- out bothering about production, balance of trade, inflation, disinflation or any other magic nostrum for prosperity. It consists of (1) Doubling the time reading good books; (2) Doubling the time listening to good records; (3) Doubling the number of youngsters racing dinghies; (4) Doubling the membership of mountaineering clubs; (5) Doubling the number of 'passes it A-level' in a foreign language; (6) Doubling the number of playing fields; (7) Doubling the sales of the Observer and Sunday Times; (8) Doubling the number of people drinking wine instead of spirits; (9) Doubling the number of amateur painters; and paying for the whole lot by (10) Doubling the number of non-smokers.
I hope •sorne of your more distinguished readers will concoct a formula to cap both Mr. R. A. Butler and—Yours faithfully, Milton Abbey School, Nr. Blandford, Dorset
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