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.