THE FOOD VALUE OF MILK
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In a letter published by you last week, Mr. Haynes deplored the tax on beer and the destruction of herrings, and in view of these facts " does not see how we can expect anything but malnutrition." The first point is highly controversial; the second has been given more publicity than it merits, as the fish destroyed constitute an almost negligible fraction of our total landings.
Mr. Haynes has, however, approached a problem whose magnitude and importance is becoming generally recognised: Attention has been drawn to malnutrition by the investigations of the British Medical Association, and by Sir John Orr's report, which suggested that the health of one half our popula- tion would be appreciably improved by a more adequate diet, and moreover, that the weekly expenditure on food of 4} million people in this country fell below the standard laid down by the B.M.A. as a " minimum subsistence level." The international aspects of the question are stressed by the recent report of the League of Nations Committee.
The most immediate problem is to ensure an adequate consumption of liquid milk. If this could be achieved about 90 per cent, of the deficiencies in the diets of the poorer classes would be made good. The Government's Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommends a consumption of a pint per head per day. The present average is about one half. For children they suggest about a pint and a half. The milk- in-schools scheme, admirable as far as it goes, only provides a third of a pint. Meanwhile we are paying a heavy subsidy, and millions of gallons of milk, about 80 per cent. of our total production, are being made into butter and cheese which we could quite easily import. A fair price must be maintained for the producer. This is the position that confronts the Milk Reorganisation Commission. It is to be hoped that they will not shrink from making demands on the Treasury. There can be no better investment for the future of the nation.
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