UNDERFED SCHOOL-CHILDREN.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-"In your last week's issue you express approval of the action of the London County Council in declining to put into operation the Education (Provision of Meals) Act, 1906. May I call the attention of your readers to the letter signed by Lords Rosebery, Rothschild, Avebury, and Mr. Balfour which appeared in the newspapers on December 21st? In that letter an urgent and eloquent appeal is made to the charitable public for contributions to a fund sufficient to provide meals for necessitous and underfed children in the public elementary schools of London during the coming winter. The children are compelled to attend school; and it is both cruel and useless to attempt to teach the hungry and the underfed. There are unfortunately in the poorer districts too many.cases of real hardship; and unless there is a generous response to the appeal, it will be necessary to raise the funds by rate. Under the present law the limit of rate is a halfpenny, which yields in London £90,000. But it is evident that the poorer ratepayers will not long be content to feed their own children and at the same time to pay for the children of their neighbours. Thus the burden and the cost of pro- viding the seven hundred and foity thousand children in nine hundred and forty-six schools with one or two meals a day might become most serious when parents had ceased to feel responsible for the children of the State. Such a result, however pleasing to the Socialists, must give cause for reflection to all those who care for the strength and permanence of family life in our cities. The public are assured that the L.C.C. has reorganised the machinery for the provision of meals and guarantees the most careful supervision, and that all subscriptions will be entirely expended in nourishing food. The lists drawn up by the Care Committees are carefully scrutinised and tested, so that only cases of genuine hardship may be relieved. It is estimated that a sum varying from £15,000 to £20,000, according to the severity of the winter, will be required. Subscriptions may be sent to H. Percy Harris (Chairman of the Council), County Hall, Spring Gardens, S.W.; or to the Manager, London and Westminster Bank (St. James's Square, S.W.), to the account of the Provision of Meals for Children Fund.—I am, Sir, &c.,
[We have dealt with Mr. Peel's letter elsewhere.—En. Spectator.]
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