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Under the new Act the Council must keep a Register of all the workshops in the
Borough, and the Medical Officer of Health is required in his Annual Report to the Council to
report specifically on the administration of the Act in workshops and workplaces, and to send
a copy of the same to the Secretary of State.
Very important powers of controlling the conditions under which certain classes of work
are done in the homes of the workers were for the first time given to District Councils by the
Act of 1901. These powers aim at the prevention of homework being done (1) in premises
which are injurious or dangerous to the health of the workers themselves, e.g., overcrowding,
want of ventilation, or other insanitary conditions, (2) any premises where there is any dangerous
infectious disease. In accordance with section 107 of the Act lists of outworkers have to be
kept in certain specified trades, and copies of this list have to be sent to the District Council on
or before the 1st day of February and the 1st day of August in each year. The details of all
outworkers who do not reside in the Borough have to be sent to the Councils of the district in
which they work.
Under section 101 new duties of great importance are placed on the Council in regard to
underground bakehouses. The Act provides generally that no underground bakehouse whether
factory or workshop shall be used as such unless it was so used on the 17th August, 1901,
(passing of the Act). Moreover, after the 1st January, 1904, it will not be lawful to use any
underground bakehouse wherever established unless the Council are satisfied that it is suitable
for the purpose with regard to construction, light, ventilation, and in all other respects and have
given a certificate of suitability.
Under section 98 of the Act increased power is given for dealing with any bakehouse
(whether underground or not) which is unfit on sanitary grounds for use or occupation.
During the year 122 kitchens of restaurants were inspected and the notices that were
served included 60 nuisances, all of which were abated.
Under the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902, increased powers have
been given to this Council for regulating the manufacture and sale of ice cream. Tbese
increased powers came into force on the 1st November, 1902, and much attention has been
given since then by this Department to premises where ice creams are manufactured, sold,
or stored.
The serious outbreak of small-pox in the Borough and the work of carrying out the
various preventive measures occupied very much of the time of the Public Health Department
during the last three months of 1901 and the first five months of 1902.
In the latter part of December, 1901, there was such a large increase in the notifications of
small-pox in this Borough, as many as 53 cases having been notified during the last week of December,
and I had for some months generally been on duty long after office hours, that I advised the Public
Health Committee that it was desirable that a temporary Sanitary Inspector should be engaged,
who should be on duty in the evenings until 10 o'clock, and also on Sundays; especially
as the new Factory and Workshop Act was coming into force on the 1st January, and the
tenement houses in the Borough required much more supervision than had been paid to them
during the preceding four months, and that very many more required to be added to the
Register of Lodging Houses let in Lodgings. The Public Health Committee finally agreed to
let me have the assistance of a medical practitioner, and from 15th January until the end of
April Dr. Watkins-Pitchford was on duty after office hours, and he and I took Saturday evenings
and Sundays alternately.
I think it is due to the great activity of the Public Health Departments and the Public
Vaccinators and the Vaccination Officers of the Metropolis that the outbreak of small-pox was so
quickly stamped out and that there was practically no recrudescence of the disease last winter.