to go round. For the parents this haphazard method was most bewildering. "No arrangement is made with the parents as to whether or not a child will have a meal on any day .... In many cases the parents hardly know whether the children are having a meal at school or not, as they constantly come home for something more."[57] Footnote 48: London School Board, Report of Special Committee on Underfed Children, 1895, p. vii. Footnote 49: _Ibid._ Footnote 50: _Ibid._, p. 11, evidence of Mr. W. H. Libby. "I am of opinion," said this witness, "that the children of parents who are in receipt of out-door relief are more in need of our help than others." (_Ibid._) "In my experience," said Mrs. Burgwin, "the greatest distress was amongst the children of parents who were in receipt of out-door relief, and free meals should certainly be given to them, for the amount allowed as out-door relief is so small that a family is left practically on the verge of starvation." (_Ibid._, p. 7.) Footnote 51: _Ibid._, p. ii. Footnote 52: _Ibid._, p. 24. Footnote 53: _Ibid._, p. 30 (evidence of Mrs. Marion Leon, Manager of Vere Street School, Clare Market). Footnote 54: _Ibid._, pp. 14-15 (evidence of Mr. J. Morgan). Footnote 55: _Ibid._, p. 21 (evidence of Mr. C. H. Heller, Headmaster of Sayer Street School, Walworth). Footnote 56: _Ibid._, p. 30 (evidence of Mrs. Marion Leon). Footnote 57: _Ibid._, p. 41 (evidence of Miss L. P. Fowler). In 1889 the self-supporting meal was still regarded as the normal type although the number of free meals was on the increase. In 1895 the committee recognised that self-supporting penny dinners were a failure. Only 10 per cent. of the meals were paid for by the children.[58] This had one rather curious effect. The meals were much more uniform in type than in 1889, and this uniformity was distasteful if not harmful to the children. The chief reason was perhaps that the need to attract the children was not so great as when it was hoped to establish the meals on a self-supporting basis. Another reason was that the National Food Supply Association, which did most of the catering, desired to encourage the use of vegetable soup as well as to relieve distress.[59] Footnote 58: