WHOLESOME DIET.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 202, 26 August 1919, Page 11

WHOLESOME DIET.

SERVED IN TEE PRISON. a. GLAXCE AT MOUNT EDEN MENU. Armed and equipped with the authority which is neressary from the "Minister" ir. rharjr of the Xew Zealand Prfeons before any information eonoern•ng {heir interna! arrangements may be made public, a "Star"' reporter this morning, by the courtesy of Mr. A. W. lronside. superintendent of Mo:mt Eden Gaol, ■was given many fa?ts and figures concerning the food that i= offered to the prisoners there. This diet scale is very interesting, lieeause it so.v to show that those who are compelled to expiate their niisdenieanour? by toiling for th? Government are scientifically and very liberally treated in the matter oi ;uel for their bodies. Indeed, after I'rofessor Worlej" had analysed the rood an;! fuel values of the local gaol diet ai-i-ordinjS to modern scientific standards i: was apparent that both the temporary an-! permanent residents inside the nri-on are fed far more wholesomely than the great majority of the people outside.

Although Ilia food may be considered | to lack the wide variety of menu that is I tie privilege of the citizen who abides' by the law, yet the allowance offered him [ is proven to be wholesome, nutritious,! and of high fuel value. The regular ration for the hard labour man is a ! pound and a-half of bread, 12 ounces of ■ meat, 5 ounces of oatmeal, a pound of' potatoes. 2Jcv sugar, a <iuar:er-pound of vegetable*, a small measure of tea. and a little s;;it each day, with variety introduced by the alternative of rice instead of oatmeal, and an increased ; grant of sugar for his evening meal on j Wednesdays and Sundays. " Professor Worley's diagnosis of the value of this diet i≤ highly satisfactory, for it represents nearly five and a-half ounces of protein, whereas the accepted standard for the hard worker is four ounces, and the fuel value is represented by tlie figures 3526 , . which compares very favourably with the recognised standard for the hard manna! toiler, ranging from 3000 to about 2400.

The professors remarks on this diet are interesting. He deduces from this fuel value that the amount of work done fay a prisoner, providing he adds nothing to his weight, i= well above the average, as it represents a fairly harj day"s effort. The amount of protein derived principally from meat is about 40 per cent in excess of normal necessity, so that in reality a good deal more than the amount of meat considered necessary is given. The professor intends no criticism of diet, which he considers is based upon eound principles, but he is oi opinion that the amount of meat could be diminished and .the quantity of vegetables increased without any deleterious effects upon the health of tie prisoners.

But apart altogether from the scientific aspect of the question, a glimpse through tie diets permitted to other classes of prisoners makes it quite apparent that there is no stinting in the food, and this, together with the regular habits enforced and the absence of what might be called pernicious influences upon the health of the ordinary inmates cf the £raol, will <ro f ar to" provide a tangible reason wbv so many people return from their temporary incarcerations greatly improved in health ! and strengthened in constitution. The i men not condemned to hard labour have ! a pound of bread every day, togther with Goz meat, the s am e quantity of oat- i meal as the others, half as much! potatoes, almost the same weight of sugar, and the same vejetabk-s. This ?ives food value represented by 2*303, which is considered ample under the circumstances. As for the women, those who are provided with the "hard labour' , sentence have something similar to the lien, except that they get only a pound oi meat, have rice as weil as oatmeal get more sugar, and are allowed a little milk every day, besides (tripping with their bread. s Compared with all these the daily food allowance of the women for the are., time shut away i 5 a splendid one, for they get liberal quantities of all the other things, besides nearly a pound of cheese a pound of jam, one of butter and hair a pound of every wee'-

The preparation of the food demands VT wor fV or "self. Meat is brought in a complete carcase at a time, and S^f g , cISC is OI " the be3t - co °ked under the cleanest conditions and served n palataole form. Sometimes the meat ~VT° aS -' occaiiona »y stew, often boiled wtoh frequently broth i, made to re j loAh m - Onoto,J J-. a "d here it may be S* notzce that the whole of each fleah aflowaiice is put into the soup, nere Bno dimng hall, each pri-oa-r