Institutional Training 



75 



It is obvious that any advantage that the children of the 

 12 per cent, of mothers who fall into Class IV. may reap from 

 the possession of a tf home " must be more than counteracted 

 by their unsatisfactory environment and mother's character. 

 And with regard to the children of the Class III. mothers, will 

 the advantage of the home life make up for the inefficiency of 

 the parent ? an inefficiency which when it reappears, as it is 

 likely to do, in the children, may be the result of heredity, but 

 more probably of the forces of suggestion and imitation ; in 

 fact of general adaptability to the environment. 



As to the food of out-relief children : the diets of the out- 

 relief children have been classed as follows : 



" CLASS I. In this class the meals are regular, and at least 

 one meal daily consists of cooked food. An example of 

 the diet which would qualify for this class is meat and 

 potatoes on Sundays ; on other days, fish, eggs, soup, 

 rice and other puddings, bread baked at home (York). 

 " CLASS II. Here, too, the meals are regular, but they 

 are not always prepared. This is often because the 

 mother goes out to work, leaving a dinner of bread and 

 margarine or dripping on the table for the children, and 

 does not trouble or cannot always afford to give them a 

 cooked supper when she comes home. A typical case 

 provides < a hot dinner four days a week ' if possible, 

 consisting of rice, suet, or other puddings, little meat. 

 On the other days the food would consist of bread 

 and tea. 



