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Unsound Food Seizures during 1903.
The following are particulars of unsound food seized during the year:—
May 16th 2 sides of pork Fined £20 and 5s. costs
July 4th 3 crates of bananas „ 10s. „ 5s. „
Sept. 8th 102 packages of fruit Summons dismissed
Sept. 9th 68 boxes (56 lbs. each) plums Not summoned
„ 185 packages of plums „
„ 15 baskets of plums „
„ 5 trucks of plums „
„ 197 half sieves of plums Fined £20and £10 10s.coats
Sept. 25th 17 boxes of pears Fined £2 and 2s. costs
Oct. 9th 2½ sacks of potatoes Not summoned
„ Half box of apples Fined £2 and 2s. coats.
IV.—FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS.
In Tables VIII,, IX., X. and XI. of the Appendix will be found the figures on which this
report is based.
On examining these, two sets of figures are particularly noticeable. Under the heading of
workshops it will be seen that in 1902 there were 966 on the register, that during 1908 177
were added, and 821 removed from it. This great difference in the figures of 1902 and 1903 is
accounted for by the fact that the report on the former year was based on an old register which
was started by the late Vestry of Bermondsey in 1894, and was continued in use till the latter
half of 1903, when a new register was adopted with headings suitable for keeping records in
accordance with the Factory and Workshop Act of 1901.
There do not appear to have been systematic registers of workshops kept in the late Vestry
of Rotheihithe and the Board of Works of St. Olave's. On the institution of the new register in
the latter half of 1903, all the addresses of workshops in the old register were given out to the
District Sanitary Inspectors, who visited, inspected, and measured up such of them as were in
existence, and reported on removals.
As a result of this, it was found that the large number of 821 had either removed or given
up business, or lived in houses which have recently been pulled down, and had consequently to be
struck off the register.
I do not think for a moment that 322 represents more than at most a third of the workshops
which ought to be on the register, and I consider that the figure for 1902 more nearly
represents the truth.
In this connection I trust the Council will see the wisdom of considering at an early date,
if the Factory and Workshop Acts are to be efficiently administered, the appointment of at least
one female Sanitary Inspector.
The Factory and Workshop Act of 1901 is a very large and comprehensive measure, and
besides consolidating the previous Acts on the same subject has created new and increased
responsibilities for the local sanitary authorities ; such are the registering of all workshops the
complete control of all sanitary matters in connection with them, the control of infectious
diseases, inspection, taking legal proceedings, etc., as pointed out fully in my report for 1902.
The duties of the district Sanitary Inspector in connection with ordinary nuisances, house
to house inspection, inspection of food, and enquiries into cases of infectious disease (which latter
have increased enormously since the measles Order of the London County Council) occupy his
time fully, so that factories and workshops are liable to be neglected, and certainly do not get
that systematic inspection which they require. Besides, women or young persons are employed
in the large majority of workshops of Bermondsey, and in such cases when enquiries as to
sanitary and other accommodation must be made from employes as well as the employers, it is
obvious that the proper person to make them is someone of the same sex as the former.
Cases are of not infrequent occurence in which the views of the employers of female labour,
regarding the sufficiency or suitability of sanitary accommodation, or the existence of certain
nuisances, do not agree with those of the Medical Officer of Health or Sanitary Inspector, and
in such cases it is necessary to institute independent enquiries among the employes independently
so as to arrive at the actual truth respecting the requirements. In such cases the duty of the
District inspector would be to hand the workshops over to the female inspector, who would
also spend her time looking ou t for new workshops, and re-inspecting at regular periods the old
ones.
The second figure on which I desire to draw attention is that under the heading of places
were food is prepared. There is no figure under 1902 because there was no register. During
1903, however, a special register of such places was instituted; among such places are included
five jam lactones. During the fruit season these are visited practically every day by the Chief
Inspector or one of the District Inspectors. The other food places included are factories for
potted meats, soups, etc., pickle factories, and the places mentioned in Table VIII.
Home Work.
252 Outworkers' premises were on the register for 1902 and 93 were added in 1903, making
a total on the register of 345. A great many of these are included among the 322 workshops, but
some, where the amount of work done was confined to a particular family and was very small in