FREE MEALS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13054, 23 April 1910, Page 4

FREE MEALS FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.

The British Board of Education has put. issued a report on the free feeding of school children, whose parents, under the glorious blessings of. Frcetrade, find then:-, solves unable to afford food for their children's poor little bodies. Millions of meals have been provided, and the report solemn-, ly .says that it is found the children are “brighter and more efficient”, as a result, which would seem to be the obvious consequence. We fancy it would be difficult to conceive of empty stomachs and ill-nourish-ed _ bodies resulting, in brightness and ef ficiency, and it seems natural to suppose that a good breakfast ought to enable a ‘ youngster to learn his spelling or do his sums better. Yet, if we remember aright, there were certain people, belonging to' the class of which the House of Lords are such bright and shining representatives, who fiercely denounced the proposal to furnish the starving children of London with free meals. They called it Socialism and robbery, a shocking waste of money, and said it would degrade the childreii, and kill their, desire to bettor themselves. All utter rubbish of course, and proved to be rubbish by the results obtained. But there is no person more calculated to resist an effort to betteEithe-lot of the. poor than the average Tory, particularly if it is going to cast him a sixpence or two. The children' could starve to death for aught he cares. Fortunately the Tories did not prevail, and the improvement in individual efficiency means in the sum total an improvement in ■ the nation’s efficiency also. ‘