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in front, it allows the effluvia from the pans to escape freely,
and in many cases it was found that the aperture in the furnace
flue through which the steam is supposed to pass was kept
closed by a shutter.
Small Exempted Laundries
These are the small laundries which are exempt from the
special provisions of the Factory Act relating to laundries, and
can only be dealt with as workplaces. Since the appointment
of the Lady Sanitary Inspector these places, which number
66 and employ 106 workers, have been kept under regular
inspection, and there.has been a distinct improvement in their
condition. In the first inspection 45 premises were found to
be in a dirty condition, and in the 66 laundries no less than
82 defects were discovered for which intimations were served.
From a health point of view these places are more unsatisfactory
than either the factory or workshop laundries. The
workrooms are small and unfit for the work, the hours are
often long, and there are exceptional opportunities for the
employment of child labour in the evenings. It is much to
be hoped that we may soon have more effective provisions for
dealing with these small laundries.
Underground Workrooms.
Recent legislation relating to underground bakehouses has
drawn attention to the evils of underground workrooms
generally, and it is to be hoped that the Legislature will shortly
take the whole question in hand. The underground bakehouse
is really no worse than the underground kitchen, if as bad,
and as far as the workers are concerned the underground
washhouse or ironing-room is probably more unhealthy than
either bakehouse or kitchen. The underground workroom is
nearly always badly lighted and ventilated; it is usually damp,
and, like all imperfectly lighted rooms, it is hardly ever clean.
As a place for the preparation of human food, the underground
workroom is distinctly unsuitable, and its abolition would be
a welcome event.