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three such cases of indecent occupation of rooms were found on the 10th April, 1899, and although
the keeper and occupier were convicted and fined, the "ground floor west side room" was still found to
be overcrowded and indecently occupied on the 24th April.
These cases are referred to by Dr. Dudfield (4th monthly report, 1899), and are deserving of study
as evidence of the need of a by-law regulating this matter, and of its enforcement by the sanitary
authority. Such enforcement involves it will be seen, of necessity, visits of inspection at unusual hours
and in some cases repeated resort to proceedings before a magistrate.
Underground rooms.—As regards the enforcement of section 96 of the Public Health London
Act, 1891, dealing with the separate use of underground rooms as dwellings, Kensington compares very
favourably with St. Pancras, a district in which I made a large number of inspections last year. In
St. Pancras I found the section only exceptionally enforced; in Kensington, when an inspector finds
that an underground room is illegally occupied, steps are taken to secure compliance with the law.
In a few instances, notably at the northern end of Portobello-road, I found underground rooms
illegally occupied, and in Sirdar-road I found basement rooms separately occupied which were so
damp as to render them unfit for human habitation. In other streets in the "special area" the
separate occupation of a number of basement rooms had been recently discontinued at the instance of
the Vestry.
Workshops.—In October, 1893, a new departure was made by the Kensington Vestry, inasmuch
as it was decided to undertake the systematic inspection of workshops, work places and laundries in
which women were etnplovod. From time to time, says Dr. Dudfield, complaints had been received
from H.M. superintending inspector, such as the following—"Found 18 women in two rooms on
ground floor, estimated cubic space 2,000 feet" (or 111 feet per person). "Found 25 women in first
floor, estimated cubic space 3,040 feet" (or 122 feet per person). "Found 10 women in one room,
estimated cubic space 1,440 feet" (or 144 feet per person).
Again, several dressmaking shops in South Kensington were inspected in 1893 by one of the
Vestry's inspectors, who reported that "these establishments were so numerous that it would take up
much of his time to keep them under such supervision as the Acts require." Dr. Dudfield, with a view
to the proper carrying out of the Vestry's statutory obligations, and having regard to the nature of the
work to be undertaken, suggested the desirability of employing women inspectors, and upon the
sanitary committee's recommendation it was almost unanimously agreed to adopt this course. The
appointments were made for six months, at the end of which time a committee recommended
the renewal of the appointment of the inspectors during the pleasure of the Vestry, and added that
the "discharge of the duties devolving upon them would be materially facilitated were the inspectors
vested with the powers which attach to a sanitary inspector." This recommendation was, however,
upon further consideration modified, the committee suggesting simply that the appointments " be
continued for a further period of one year." *
In 1895, one of the inspectors was reappointed, with the status of sanitary inspector, but the
other appointment was allowed to lapse. "Unfortunately," says Dr. Dudfield, "the notion got abroad
that one inspector could do the work of the entire parish." The sanitary committee had recommended
the reappointment, but the Vestry struck out the paragraph in the committees report.j Since that
time there has been only one inspector of workshops who, writes Dr. Dudfield, " does her best to carry
out the work for the entire parish." This inspector has the status of a sanitary inspector.

It will be seen that laundries constitute the large majority of the work places of North
Kensington, and dressmakers workshops are an even more conspicuous feature in South Kensington.
Anyone who visits a number of workshops in which women are employed in Kensington cannot
fail to be impressed with the large amount of benefit which has accrued from the work of the inspectors
during the past six years. The conditions under which women work have manifestly undergone
material improvement, and in particular the attention which has been called to the question of overcrowding
has resulted in a ready compliance with the statutory requirement on the part of the majority
of owners of workshops. There are, however, it is clear, a minority of owners who prefer running
* The special reasons which had led the committee to advocate that the inspectors of workshops should be
given the status of sanitary inspectors arc set out in Dr. Dudfield's annual report for 1893, p, 161.
† Monthly report XI., 1896, p. 127. It may be noted that in 1894, and again in 1895, one of the Vestry's
lady inspectors was selected by the Home Secretary for appointment as factory inspector. The lady whose
services the Vestry dispensed with in 1895, was soon afterwards selected by the Government of New South
Wales for appointment as factory inspector.