Welfare Children Get Free Lunches

The Cambridge School Committee voted last night to provide free hot lunches for all elementary and high-school children from welfare-income families.

The motion was introduced by 15 welfare mothers-members of the Cambridge Welfare Rights Organization who met yesterday morning with David E. Hockman, deputy superintendent of schools.

The mothers-most of whom are black-claim that the Federal law providing free or reduced-price lunches for needy children was not being fully applied in Cambridge. They added that some children who asked for free lunches had been made to do cafeteria work and were also subject to identification, both of which are violations of the law.

After meeting with the mothers, Hock-man said. "I don't doubt that they're correct in what they're saying."

Almost half of Cambridge schools do not have their own cafeterias. The School Committee also voted to undertake a study which could lead to free hot lunches for all children in city schools.