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144
The inspection of kitchens and other workplaces is a duty
devolving upon Inspector Benjamin, but so much of his time
during the latter half of the year was necessarily taken up
in supervising the alterations to underground bakehouses that
comparatively little was devoted to this work. A systematic
inspection was, however, made of the kitchens in the spring,
and again in autumn. The number of persons employed in
the kitchens was 217, 63 males and 154 females. Seven
kitchens were wholly or partly underground. As regards
lighting and ventilation, their condition was fairly satisfactory.
The chief defect found was want of cleanliness and carelessness
in the disposal of refuse. There is a tendency to heap
up the refuse in the kitchen or yard instead of placing in a
proper receptacle. Since the kitchens have been regularly
inspected there has been a marked improvement in their condition,
but there is need for bye-laws to deal with the structural
conditions of the premises, the way in which they are kept,
and the way in which the food is stored and prepared. The
restaurant is becoming more and more prominent a feature
in modern life, as the tendency of the workers to live at a
distance away from their work increases with the growth of
large towns; and it is important that the food should be stored
and prepared under the best conditions, which is certainly not
the case at the present time.