23 
Commenting on these ideas, Mr. Crossland thought there 
would be no difficulty in forming such a committee, and as 
one keenly interested in the Guild of Help, might he suggest 
that the co-operation of its members would be invaluable in 
{a) assisting at the meals themselves, ( b ) providing important 
information difficult to get through ordinary channels as to 
the ability of parents to pay for meals, and (c) encouraging 
deserving but proud and honest parents to allow their children 
to enjoy what was their right and not charity — the very people 
who most needed help, and most frequently did not get it. 
Burnley, he continued, had a number of premises well adapted 
for experimental use, many of them containing cooking 
apparatus, crockery, tables and linen, and extra gas stoves 
could easily be hired ; whilst the caretakers at such places 
were generally expert in providing meals from experience 
of social functions. Where the necessary cooking was done 
at the centres selected the elder girls who wished it might be 
allowed to help both in cooking and the laying of the tables. 
This would be a valuable extension in the training in domestic 
subjects, and do a great deal to teach the selection and pre- 
paration of economical and well chosen meals. In these 
cases the caterer might be paid for his services merely, and 
the bills made payable to the Education Committee, thus 
securing the additional advantage of the reduction in cost 
in buying on a large scale. In other cases the catering might 
be let by tender, and the two methods afterwards compared. 
Here the question of the teachers’ part cropped up. All past 
experience went to prove that the help of present or past 
teachers was necessary. Many voluntary helpers would 
come forward, but not all would be qualified to organise and 
direct large numbers of children in an orderly way — the value 
of orderliness could not be over-estimated. But the Act 
forbade the compulsory employment of present teachers, and 
if some teachers volunteered their services they should be 
paid, though many would be glad to help freely. But pay- 
ment was necessary for obvious reasons : that distinctions 
might be drawn between those who assisted voluntarily and 
those who did not, and because teachers engaged in the 
evenings could not possibly forego the noontide rest, and 
would yet be paid for catering for the intellectual improve- 
ment of evening students. The extra duty imposed on the 
head teacher in school hours in distributing the tickets would, 
he was sure, be willingly performed, especially as he would 
give to all enquirers, receiving payment where proffered, 
not asking for it where it was not, leaving to the Education 
Authority the task of deciding whether payment should be 
made. Here the lecturer emphatically stated that, as was 
