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Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health,—1893. 67
"Let us glance briefly at the state of legislation with regard to bakehouses.
"Before 1863 no special legislation existed. In that year, however, the Bakehouse
Regulation Act was passed. The measure in question was introduced at a
time when public attention had been pointedly drawn to the unhealthy conditions
under which baking was carried on. The duty of inforcing this first Act of 1863 was
imposed on the local authorities. As a result of the report of a Royal Commission
on Factories and Workshops in 1876, the Factory and Workshop Act of 1878 became
law, and at the same time the Bakhouse Act was repealed. For some unaccountable
reason, and against the advice of the Commission, the regulation of bakehouses was
transferred from the local authorities to the already over-burdened factory inspectors,
who numbered six only for the whole of London. In 1883, on the passing of the
Factory and Workshops Amendment Act, the duties were re-transferred from the
factory inspectors to the local authorities.
"The present law regarding retail bakehouses, as far as London is concerned, is
incorporated in Sections 26 and 27 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The
provisions of the Act of 1878 are contained in Sections 34, 35 and 81. These
Sections repeated in Section 26 of the Public Health (London) Act, apply to such
bakehouses only as are situated in any place that contains, according to the last
published Census, a population of more than 5,000 persons. Section 34 runs as
follows:—'Where a bakehouse is situate in any city, town, or place containing,
according to the last published Census for the time being, a population of more than
5,000 persons, all the inside walls of the rooms of such bakehouse and all the ceilings
or tops of such rooms (whether such walls, ceilings, or tops be plastered or not) and
all the passages and staircases of such bakehouse, shall either be painted with oil or
varnished, or be limewashed, or be partly painted, or varnished and partly limewashed;
where painted with oil or varnish there shall be three coats of oil or varnish,
and the paint or varnish shall be renewed once at least in every seven years aud
shall be washed with hot water and soap once at least in every six months; where
liinewashed the limewashing shall be renewed once at least in every six months. A
bakehouse in which there is any contravention of this Section shall be deemed not
to be kept in conformity with this Act.'
"Section 35 of 1878 Act states that a place on the same level with the bakehouse
and forming part of the same building shall not be used as a sleeping place, unless it
is constructed as follows:—that is to say, 'It must be effectually separated from the
bakehouse by a partition extending from the floor to the ceiling, and unless there is
an external glazed window of at least nine superficial feet in area, of which at least
four-and-a-half superficial feet are made to open for ventilation.' There is no
apparent reason why the operation of this Section should have been confined to
urban districts. Surely, in the interests of the sleeper and the bread consumer—
whether rustic or cockney—it is desirable that the Section should be of general
application. Section 81 of 1878 Act provides that if Section 34 be contravened the
occupier of the bakehouse shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £10.
"The sections of the Act of 1883 applicable to bakehouses, and repeated in
Section 26 of the Public Health (London) Act are Sections 15 and 16. Section 15
relates exclusively to places which were not let or occupied as bakehouses before the
1st of June, 1883. This Section provides that it shall not be lawful to let or to
suffer to be occupied as a bakehouse, or to occupy as a bakehouse any such place,
unless the following regulations are complied with: (1) No water closet, earth closet,
privy, or ashpit, shall be within, or communicate directly with the bakehouse; (2)
Any cistern for supplying water to the bakehouse shall be separate and distinct from
any cistern for supplying water to a water closet; (3) No drain or pipe for carrying
off faecal or sewage matter shall have an opening within the bakehouse.
"It is to be regretted that this Section is not applicable to bakehouses let or
occupied as such before, as well as after, the 1st of June, 1883.