The feeding of the munition worker is another great piece of work.  It started, like so many of our things, in voluntary effort.  The conditions of the men and women working all night and without any possibility of getting anything warm to eat and drink and, exhausted with their heavy work, made people feel something must be done, and the first efforts were to send round barrows with hot tea and coffee and sandwiches, etc.  More and more it was realized that the provision of proper meals for the workers, men and women, was indispensable for the maintenance of output on which our fighting forces depended for their very lives—­and the Government, the Y.M.C.A., the Y.W.C.A. and various other agencies, started to establish canteens.  The Y.W.C.A. alone in its canteens serves 80,000 meals a week.  Large numbers of private firms have established their own canteens.

The Health of Munition Workers Committee reported, in November, 1915, that it was extremely desirable to establish canteens in every factory in which it would be useful.  Many canteens existed before the war, but they have been added to enormously and the recommendations of the committee as to accessibility, attractiveness, form, food and service carried out.

The Canteen Committee of the Liquor Control Board who have looked after this work have issued an admirable official pamphlet, “Feeding the Munition Worker,” in which plans for construction and all details are given.  An ideal canteen should always provide facilities for the worker to heat his or her own food.

The prices are very reasonable, and in most cases only cover cost of food and service, soup and bread is 4 cents—­cut from joint and two vegetables, 12 to 16 cents.

  Puddings, 2 to 4 cents,
  Bread and cheese, 3 to 4 cents,
  Tea, coffee and cocoa, 2 cents a cup,

and a variety is arranged in the week’s menu.

The Y.W.C.A.  Huts are very popular.  In some of them the girls get dinners for 10 cents, and the dinner includes joint, vegetables and pudding.

There are comfortable chairs in them in which girls can rest and attractive magazines and books to read in the little restrooms.  The workers in charge of these canteens are educated women and the waiting and service is done by voluntary helpers.  There is not only excellent feeding for our workers in these canteens, but there is great economy in food and fuel.  To cook 400 dinners together is much less wasteful than to cook them separately, and the cooks in these are generally trained economists.

The children, too, are not forgotten.  Our welfare workers follow the young mother home and find out if the children are all right and well taken care of.  We have done even more in the war than before for our babies and the infant death rate is falling.  We have established excellent creches and nurseries where they are needed.