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23
of finding people occupying these dwellings as sleeping apartments,
shall constitute separate occupation, we shall not get to
the root of this matter; during the past year however in a number
of cases people have been found to be occupying these
underground dwellings, and notices have been served which have
had the effect of abating the evil in all the cases which came to
our knowledge.
WORKSHOPS.
In my last year's Report I mentioned the fact that the duty
of inspecting Workshops had been transferred from the Factory
Inspector to the Local Authorities, and that we were at that
time endeavouring to carry out the duties entrusted to us; since
then great progress has been made as regards discovering the
location of most of the Workshops in our district; and also in
organizing systematic inspections and in keeping a record of
work done in connection therewith; as will be seen by the
detailed report, the major portion of them are in the West Ward
district for which Mr. Twaits is the Inspector. The objects of
inspection are, viz.: (1) seeing that all Workshops are kept in a
cleanly state, (2) the detection of overcrowding, (3) the provision
of suitable sanitary conveniences for both sexes. The
whole of the Workshops on our register is now over 200, and
they have been inspected twice during the past year, in a number
of instances various orders for cleansing and the abatement
of overcrowding, &c., have been enforced. The particulars of
such works are set out in the list of Workshops annexed, which
will also be found to contain details of the position of the various
Workshops and the number of persons each will accommodate
allowing 250 cubic feet for each person, and also the trade
carried 011 by the occupier. In addition to the half-yearly
inspections many of the Workshops have had to be inspected on
numerous occasions other than those set out in detail in the
tables, principally with a view to detect and prevent overcrowding
and also to enforce the Vestry's orders relating to
cleansing, etc.
In the early part of this year a printed report was sent to the
various Authorities, and also to the Press, from the Medical
Officer of the London County Council, upon a number of Workshops
in various districts in the East of London which had been
inspected by his assistant. A list of the Workshops inspected
in this district was also forwarded to us. On going into the
report I found that as regards our own district it only related to
40 out of the 200 which we have under periodical inspection,
and these were of the worst type being in some cases merely a
back room at the top of a house. The workshops mentioned in
the report were immediately visited by the Inspector and
myself, with the result that we found at this time the over-