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Which of us would consider that he could supply food and sick-luxuries for even one person on 14s. a week, the sum fixed by the rich as board wages for an unneeded man-servant?

On the face of it this family is perhaps exceptionally well-off, for the two big lads in it earn, the one 5s. the other 7s. a week, which brings the united weekly wage up to 35s. a week. Mrs. Stoneman is a friend of mine, and, in response to my request, she weighed all the food at every meal, and here is the result.

At the time, however, that this was done Mrs. Stoneman’s children had been sent by the Children’s Country Holiday Fund into the country for a fortnight’s holiday. We must therefore suppose the family to consist only of six, and the necessary quantity of food to sustain them in good healthy working condition would be 76oz. of carbonaceous food and 19oz. of nitrogenous food.

Sunday Meals.

Quantity of Food Cost Strength- giving. Flesh- repairing Breakfast—Bread and Butter and Fish. s. d. oz. oz. 1¼ lb. Bread 2 11¼ 1¾ 1½ oz. Butter 1½ 1 — 1 Haddock 3 — — ½ oz. Tea ¾ — — 2½ oz. Sugar ¼ 2 ¼ ½ pint Tinned Milk ½ ¾ ¼ Dinner—Beef and Vegetables, Apple Pudding. 1 lb. 3 oz. Beef 1 5 3¼ 3¼ 3 lb. 10 oz. Potatoes 2½ 12¾ 1¾ 1 lb. Beans 2 — — 3 oz. Bread ¼ 1½ — ⅔ lb. Flour 3 8 ¾ ¼ lb. Lard 2 3 — 1 lb. Apples 2 2 1 1⅓ oz. Sugar ¼ 1 — Tea—Bread and Butter. ¾ lb. Bread 1¼ 6¾ 2¼ 2 oz. Butter 2 1½ — ½ oz. Tea ¼ — — 2½ oz. Sugar ¼ 2 — ½ pint Tinned Milk ½ ¾ ¼ Supper—Bread and Cheese. 1 lb. Bread 1½ 9 1½ ¼ lb. Cheese 4 1 1¼ Total 3 11½ 67¾ 14¼

Wednesday Meals