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80
The annual inspection of these places, prior to the licensing,
proved them to be generally in a satisfactory condition.
Some defects were, however, noticed, which were considered of such
a nature as to justify me in recommending the Vestry to oppose the
renewal of the licenses.
BAKEHOUSES.
The Bakehouses were visited on several occasions during the year;
no less than 441 visits having been paid. When their situations, mostly
underground, and the difficulties encountered in ventilating them are
considered, their state may be described as fairly good. As far as
possible, every one was put into a cleanly state during the year.
For my own part, I do not consider that it is wise to allow human
beings to continue to labour in such places, for I think that the
results to them are very serious.
The only ground that has ever been raised against their abolition
is that it would be too great an interference with the rights of property
to cause them to be discontinued.
It has always seemed to me a very absurd argument that because
a place has been allowed to be occupied for a long series of years to the
detriment of the health of the people working therein, that, therefore,
it must not be now abolished.
If these insanitary places have been occupied for such a long
time, surely they have more than recouped their owners for the money
that had been originally spent on their erection. To use a common
phrase, "they owe nothing" to their owners. This being so, it is not too
much to ask that in the interest of bakers generally, these places
should be done away with.
I hope, and believe, that the day is not far distant when every
bakehouse will be situated above ground, where it can be freely and
fully ventilated, and where the light of day can penetrate to every part
of it and thereby create those healthy conditions which cannot possibly.
be obtained in underground bakehouses.