129 
1916-17.] Labouring Class Dietaries in War Time. 
Sugar, the importation of which has been controlled, has been subject 
to a much greater rise of price than most other commodities. 
The reason for the excessive rise in the cost of potatoes has already 
been noted. 
The Board of Trade returns show that comparing June 1914 and June 
1915 there was a rise of 68 per cent, on an average for all the cereals 
imported. Prices fell in Autumn 1915. In December the average price of 
imported cereals was only 47 per cent, above the pre-war price. Since 
then the corresponding figures have risen steadily, in May being 76 per 
cent, above what they were in June 1914. The over- all rise of price of 
dead meat imported was 67*5 per cent, from June 1914 to May 1916. 
With these the retail prices compare favourably. There was a fall in 
the price of wheat after June 1st, but so far the price of bread was not 
affected in Scotland. 
B. HOUSING AND RENT. 
The housing of the forty families studied does not show much variation, 
and is similar to what it was in 1911-12. In each case the house was of the 
poorer type of tenement dwelling. Eleven of the families were living in 
one-roomed houses, twenty-six lived in houses of two apartments, and three 
had three apartments. In every case the cubic space per person had been 
calculated approximately. Putting children upon the same footing as 
adults, the average air space per person is 376 J cubic feet, against a 
theoretical 1000 cubic feet. In this connection it is interesting to note that 
in a number of the families which have a well-proportioned and sufficient 
diet the children are nevertheless weak and deformed by rickets. In Port 
Sunlight rickets is very uncommon, and the infant death-rate low. The 
> 
average income of labouring class families there was till recently no higher 
than that of the families visited in Glasgow, but the housing was much 
superior, each family having a cottage of its own, with an average for the 
fifty families visited of 1568 cubic feet per person and free access to the 
fresh air. 
The percentage of income spent on rent is identical in the 1911-12 
and the 1915-16 studies, namely 133. The housing factor may then be 
regarded as having remained constant. 
C. REMAINDER OF INCOME. 
The average amount of income remaining after deducting the cost of 
rent and food is higher in the 1915-16 than in the 1911-12 studies, 
7s. 4d. — 24'4 per cent, compared with 3s. lid. — 13'7 per cent, in 1911-12. 
VOL. xxxvii. 9 
