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138
1898]
of working at home are outweighed by the disadvantages will be readily
accepted because they are founded on an assured foundation.
It will be noticed in Table XCIII. that no less than 10 infectious
diseases occurred in dressmakers' homes, in addition to which fully 13
cases were known in homes where wearing apparel was made up for the
great wholesale houses in the City.
MISS OKAY'S REPORT.
The Vestry Hall,
Islington, N.,
1st February, 1899.
To A. E. Harris, Esq
Medical Officer of Health.
Sir,
I have the honour of submitting for your consideration a report of my work for
the year 1898.
Registers.— At the end of the year there were on the "Register of Workshops where
Females are Employed" and on the "Laundry Register" a total of 1,026 workshops, containing
1,646 workrooms. In 379 of these workshops dress, mantle and blouse-making
arc carried on; in 440 miscellaneous trades (details of which will be found in the table
which I append to this report) are carried on, and there are 207 workshop laundries.
195 workshops and 27 laundries have been added to the Registers during the year,
while 131 workshops and 17 laundries have been removed from them. Notifications have
been sent to the Home Office of 130 workshops and laundries which had not been visited
by H.M. Inspector of Factories.
There are, approximately, 5,000 females employed in the registered workshops and
1,700 in the laundries. The numbers fluctuate with the busy seasons, which during the
past year have been short, as the cold spring and warm autumn materially affected the
demand for articles of wearing apparel, in the manufacture of which most of the workers
are engaged.
Inspections.— I have inspected in the course of the year 1,535 workshops and laundries,
containing 2,427 workrooms, and I have made 1,514 re-inspections, and calls. These
figures include inspections of the three public conveniences for women and of the homes
of female outworkers.
The general condition of the workrooms now compares very favourably with (hat
existing in 1895, when I mads my first inspection, as a proof of which I may point out
that practically no complaints were received from employees regarding insanitary
conditions in workrooms during the year.
Overcrowding.— I found 15 workrooms to be overcrowded on inspection. In these the
overcrowding has been abated.