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187
legislation prevent, at least they so proposed, the construction of
underground bakehouses for the future.' But no provision of this sort
found a place in the Bill of 1883, and the matter was not dealt with
in the Bill of 1891. Referring to the subject of bakehouse regulation
generally, in my third report for 1891, I stated that the Factory Bill
did not stand alone 'in furnishing an opportunity for dealing with
the question,' which, I said, 'might be dealt with in the Public
Health (London) Bill, to the extent, at any rate, of enabling the
County Council to make bye-laws for the regulation of bakehouses.'
I therefore recommended a reference of the Bills to the Law and
Parliamentary Committee, 'with power to make suitable representations
to the Home Secretary, the President of the Local Government
Board, and the County Council,' on the lines of the said report,
which contained a summary of the matters more fully set out in
the present report, and I specifically recommended that steps be
taken to obtain for Sanitary Inspectors the power of entry to
bakehouses, and to enable the Sanitary Authority, or the County
Council, to make bye-laws for the regulation of bakehouses.
"Representations were made to the Secretary of State upon
these lines, and subsequently—a reply having been received
to the effect that it was considered that the suggestion made
as to giving powers to the Sanitary Authorities to make byelaws
applicable to bakehouses was one rather to be dealt with
in a Public Health Bill,—a communication was forwarded to
the President of the Local Government Board, urging him to
take the matter into consideration in connection with the Public
Health (London) Law Amendment Bill, then before the House of
Commons. Nothing came of the action taken, save that in the
Factory and Workshop Act, 1891, the desired power of entry to bakehouses
was given to the Sanitary Inspector. The two Acts referred
to, taken together, increased the powers of the Sanitary Authorities
in respect to measures for securing such improved sanitary conditions
of bakehouses as are practicable, having regard to the usual underground
position of the various premises ; but the Acts contain no
provisions enabling any Authority, central or local, to make bye-laws,
or to carry out such reforms as in my report for 1881 I had recom
mended, and which cover a good deal of the matter dealt with in the
report of the Public Health and Housing Committee of the Council
above cited.
" In conclusion, I would only further observe that it is matter for
satisfaction that the said Committee should have taken in hand this
question of Bakehouse regulation. It is one which the Council, from
their position as central authority, will probably be able to carry to a
successful issue. No exception can, I think, be taken to the view of
the Committee that the Council 'should be empowered to make
regulations ' in regard to bakehouses ; and little, if any objection can
reasonably be made to the objects which regulations should subserve,