278 Public Establishment for 



public kitchen, daily, the number of portions specified 

 in the ticket ; and these they might send for by a child, 

 or by any other person they thought proper to em- 

 ploy. It was necessary, however, that the ticket should 

 always be produced, otherwise the portions were not 

 delivered. This precaution was necessary, to prevent 

 abuses on the part of the poor. 



Many other precautions were taken to prevent 

 frauds on the part of those employed in the kitchen, 

 and in the various other offices and departments con- 

 cerned in feeding the poor. 



The bread-corn, peas, barley, etc., were purchased 

 in the public market in large quantities, and at times 

 when those articles were to be had at reasonable 

 prices, and were laid up in store-rooms provided for 

 that purpose, under the care of the store-keeper of the 

 Military Workhouse. 



The baker received his flour by weight from the 

 store -keeper, and in return delivered a certain fixed 

 quantity of bread. Each loaf, when well baked, and 

 afterwards dried during four days in a bread-room 

 through which the air had a free passage, weighed 

 two pounds, .ten ounces, avoirdupois. Such a loaf was 

 divided into six portions ; and large baskets filled with 

 these pieces being placed in the passage leading to 

 the dining-hall, the portions were delivered out to the 

 poor as they passed to go into the hall, each person 

 who passed giving a medal of tin to the person who 

 gave him the bread, in return for each portion re- 

 ceived. These medals, which were given out to the 

 poor each day in the halls where they worked by the 

 steward or by the inspectors of the hall, served to pre- 

 vent frauds in the distribution of the bread, the person 



