View report page

60
It comprises fifty-two clauses in three principal divisions, of
which the first (clauses 1—18) is on "General Law relating to
Factories and Workshops"; the second (clauses 19—31) refers to
"Special Rules and Requirements"; and the third consists of
"Miscellaneous Amendments." From a point of view totally
different from that of mere arrangements of clauses, viz., that of
administration, the Bill may be regarded as consisting of two
parts, not structurally divided, yet distinct from each other.
One of these parts concerns Sanitary Authorities and their
executive officers on whom it casts new duties and responsibilities;
the other is principally to be dealt with by the
Government Inspectors of Factories and Workshops. It may
be convenient to consider the Bill on this basis. It should be
premised that the provisions relating specially to the hygiene of
certain trades (clauses 25—31) do not, for the purposes of the
Bill, come within the province of the Sanitary Authority.
Recent legislation in respect of Factories and Workshops affords
abundant illustration of mischievous overlapping of duties of
distinct authorities in matters relating to health, and the
consequent reduplication of the work of the respective officers of
these authorities. The administration of the statutes in question
involves greatly increased inspection on the part of Inspectors
of the Sanitary Authority. The Bill, whilst on this point not
differing from its predecessors, goes a great deal further than
any of them in proposing, so to speak, to place Sanitary
Authorities under Government Inspectors of Factories, as will
presently appear (clause 3).
The clauses of the Bill, directly affecting Sanitary Authorities,
are the following :—
Clause I defines overcrowding in Factories and Workshops,
which hitherto has been undefined. The limit is placed at 250
cubic feet, or during overtime 400 cubic feet per person. These
amounts are subject to modification by the Secretary of State
during the use of artificial light, and to increase in particular
processes or handicrafts.