View report page

In six cases fines were inflicted, in one other the defendant was
cautioned and ordered to pay the costs.
The following cases require special mention: —
A Cooper, the occupier of some workshops in Weaver Street, was
summoned for permitting his premises to be in a dirty condition and
for neglecting to make proper provision for the ventilation of his
workshops so as to render harmless the vapours (smoke, &c.) generated
in the course of his handicraft. The process of firing the casks was
found to be carried on upon open hearths, the men employed were
working in the midst of irritating smoke, and the walls and rafters
of the workshop were covered with soot. The occupier conducted
his own case and appealed to the Magistrate (Mr. H. Corser) to
visit the premises and see the condition of them for himself. The
summons was adjourned for a month for this purpose. The owner
now set vigorously to work to cleanse and limewash the premises,
thereby destroying some of the evidence as to smoke, &c.
Mr. Corser was informed as to what was being done, and he
declined to visit. At the adjourned hearing the occupier attended
and agreed to an order.
A Boot and Shoemaker in Warner Place was summoned for
failing to comply with two notices, one requiring him to abate the
overcrowding in his workshops, and the other requiring him to
provide additional Closet accommodation for the women employed.
In this last case the defendant denied the offence, and stated that
his female employees were allowed the use of the W.C. at his
private house a few doors away. Mr. Bushby ruled that the
Sanitary Authority had power to order what additional closet
accommodation they considered necessary, and that the Magistrate
had no power to question this decision, but only to administer the
law and inflict a penalty if the order of the Sanitary Authority
were not complied with.
Both cases were proved and fines of £5 and 2s. costs were inflicted
in each case. Subsequently these fines were reduced by the Home
Secretary to one-half.
c