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26
In previous Annual Reports reference has been made to the need for classes
for stokers. It is interesting to record that at the Northampton Polytechnic, St.
John Street, E.G. 1, arrangements were made during the winter 1980-31 for courses
of twelve lectures on boiler house technology and eight lectures on the theory and
practice of stoking.
Some indication of the extent of the London smoke haze may be gathered from
a declaration made by Mr. Entwistle, Superintendent of the Aviation Services
Division of the Meteorological Office who says that if the smoke cloud could be
removed many more flying days per year would be possible over the London area.
As it is on the London-Continental air route an appreciable haze due to the smoke
of London is met with over the Channel some miles from the Kent coast.
Inspection of Workshops, etc.
The routine inspection of factories, workshops and workplaces has been carried
out during the year. 352 factories were inspected, 484 workshops and 2,993
workplaces.
It is found that changes frequently occur in the occupation of workshops. To
obtain information of such changes and further details of industrial conditions in the
through a large number of visits and inspections were made in addition to the routine
inspections mentioned above. As the result of these visits 39 premises no longer used
for the purpose for which they had been registered were removed from the register of
workshops. In some cases, owing to the introduction of machinery, former"workshops"
had become "factories" and the necessary transfer to the factory register was effected.
Variations in the staff employed were also frequently reported. During the year 37
workshops were added to the register.
Of the 611 workshops on the register at the end of the year
325 employed men only,
60 employed women only, and
226 employed both men and women.
The number of employees is often very small and many of the workshops are in
tenement houses (houses let in lodgings).