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70 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
"Prof. W. H. Corfield (London) said that if underground bakehouses were as they
had been described, and he knew that, many were, everybody would agree that they
ought to be abolished. In Dr. Waldo's scheme notice was to be given to bakers to
reform their bakehouses within a certain period; but he was of opinion that not too
much notice should be given them. As a case in point, he referred to the Act passed
for the abolition of private slaughter-houses. This Act allowed a period of forty years
for all private slaughter-houses to be abolished. Thirty-eight years after the passing
of this Act. as no steps whatever had been taken to abolish private slaughter-houses, a
Bill was brought in exempting them from abolition. So that in this case after forty
years' notice things remained just the same as ever. Although the duty of inspecting
bakehouses was in the hands of the Home Office, for three years there was, so far as he
had been able to ascertain, practically no bakehouse inspection whatever. Many
improvements had now been introduced into some underground bakehouses, but he
thought it was far better to get rid of them altogether than to try and improve them.
"Dr. Louis C. Parkes (London) thought that the proportion of underground bakehouses
in London was more like seven-eighths than that mentioned by Dr. Waldo—
viz., a half. He thought that underground bakehouses were liable to be unhealthy,
and although much had been done to remedy their insanitary conditions still a great
deal of dampness and bad ventilation remained. Where food was being prepared it
was most important that there should be no dampness, and, moreover, he thought it
impossible to ventilate underground rooms without immediately creating a draught,
which bakers very naturally objected to. He expected it would be found that the
comparative mortality of lung diseases among bakers would be high. It was impossible
to do much with underground bakehouses, and their gradual abolition would
probably be the best course. He agreed with Dr. Waldo that bakehouses should be
licensed, and that the London County Council should have power to make regulations
in regard to them, regulating them similarly to slaughter-houses The insanitary conditions
of bakehouses no doubt affected the public health to a certain extent, but it
should not be lost sight of that the process of baking sterilised the bread, and therefore
destroyed all germs of disease. After being baked the crusts of the loaves might
become contaminated under unwholesome conditions, and in epidemic times it was
advisable to have bread re-baked at home. All bakehouses should be made sanitary,
and the work commenced at once and done gradually. Kitchens were also important,
as some were in a still worse condition than bakehouses. The audience would recollect
the correspondence in the newspapers some time ago about the kitchens of foreign
restaurants. Atone of the large London exhibitions he went over one of the kitchens,
and found in it two bell traps with steam issuing from the drains and a water-closet
situated in close proximity to the kitchen. If this was the state of affairs in a highclass
establishment, what must it be in a low-class one ? He thought it very desirable
that there should be a special inspection of all kitchens, and that this was almost more
important than that of bakehouses, as the act of baking tended to sterilise or destroy
the germs, whereas from kitchens many things were served up in a raw state.
"Mr. W. G. Lakeman (H.M. Superintending Inspector of Workshops for London)
thought that Dr. Waldo's paper had been read opportunely, at a time when public
thought was being exercised for the good of humanity. County Councils and local
authorities were being awakened to a sense of their duties, and were beginning to
assist the heads of the Government in carrying out the measures so wisely introduced.
In 1863 a Commission was appointed to enquire into the bakehouse question, and as a
result of their report an Act of Parliament was passed appointing the local authorities
inspectors of bakehouses. They did nothing, and at the end of twenty years instead
of an improvement things were worse. They had no time and no one else had any
time, because no one was paid to do the work. In 1879 the inspection of bakehouses
was transferred to factory inspectors, with the result that in fifteen months from
2,000 to 3,000 bakehouses were inspected and reported to the Government. In some
instances the reports showed that large cesspools had been found situated immediately
under the kneading troughs. As a result of these reports the Act of 1883 was passed,
but he would ask what was the use of this Act and what good had it done? The local