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45
A few words are required with reference to the provisions contained in Sections
107 to 115 of the Act, dealing with home work, in which are set forth the powers for
controlling the conditions under which certain classes of work are done in the homes
of the workers. These powers aim at the prevention of home work being done in insanitary
dwellings or on premises where dangerous infectious disease exists. The
classes of work referred to have been fixed by the Secretary of State as follows:—(a)
so far as insanitary dwellings are concerned, any work in connection with wearing
apparel, lace, cabinet and furniture making and upholstering, the making of electroplate
and files and fur pulling; (b) in the case of infectious disease, the foregoing with
the exception of cabinet, furniture and file making. In order that the Borough Council
may be kept informed as to the places in its district in which home work of the classes
referred to is being done, occupiers of factories, workshops, or any places from which
work is given out, and also contractors employed by such occupiers, are required to keep
lists shewing the names and addresses of all persons employed by them and the places
where they are so employed, and to send to the Borough Council twice a year copies of
such lists. The penalty in event of failure to keep such lists and to send copies of the
same as required is £2 for the first offence and £5 for the second or subsequent
offences It is the duty of the Council to have the list so sent to them examined, and
if the place of employment of any outworker included in the list is in another district
fo furnish his name and place of employment to the Council of that district. The lists
are to be open for inspection by any duly authorised officer of the Council and the
copies sent to the Council and any particulars furnished to it by another Council are
to be open for inspection by any factory inspector.
With a view to giving effect to the the provisions relating to home work the
sanitary inspectors were instructed by the Health Committee to obtain the necessary
information as to workshops and work-places, as to outworkers and as to domestic
factories and workshops. Steps are being taken in accordance with these instructions.
Public notice has been given by means of posters, and handbills are being distributed to
parties concerned pointing out the legal obligation of certain occupiers of factories and
workshops in respect to keeping lists of persons employed by them outside such
factories or workshops in connection with their trade. In accordance with the
requirement of the Act during the year some 16 lists referring to 429 outworkers were
received from occupiers of factories or workshops. They were duly examined and the
addresses of those outworkers not in Shoreditch numbering some 212, were forwarded
to the medical officers of health of the respective districts to which they belonged.
Communications were received from medical officers of health relating to 480
persons, out-workers, living in Shoreditch.
A register of the workshops in Shoreditch is being compiled. In order to cope
with the increased work required by the Act, additional clerical assistance has been
provided by the Health Committee which will be referred to later in this report when
dealing with the sanitary staff.