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Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health,—1894. 73
"He saw no difference between the terms "basement" and "cellar," as applied to
retail underground bakeries. Call them by what name you will it is absolutely
impossible to efficiently ventilate or render healthy these places which were never
constructed or intended for the manufacture of bread. He did not see why the bakehouse
should not be removed to the top of the house—as was the case in so many
kitchens—where there was no room to erect one on the ground floor. This would not
entail great extra expense, and would besides render the house a much healthier one
to live in.
"In answer to Mr. Thornton, L.C.C., he had suggested in his reports to the Vestry of
St. George-the-Martyr, that there should be more frequent inspection, and on his
recommendation their staff of inspectors had recently been doubled. Inspection was
now made once every three months. This was a step in the right direction. He had
also suggested legislation to do away with cellar bakeries, but had received little
encouragement from the Local Government Board. He believed in the distribution of
Local Government. He said the London County Council should make the bye-laws,
subject to the approval of the Local Government Board, and that the Local Authorities
should carry out the work, not the London County Council to do everything.
"Dr. Walsh had pertinently asked whether the City Corporation possessed insanitary
bakehouses. As a matter fact, some of the worst bakehouses in Southwark did belong
to the City of London. He was of opinion that the establishment of a bakery on any
premises raised the value of such property.
"More than one gentleman—in the trade, he presumed—had stated their opinion
that he had drawn somewhat on his imagination. He could, however, vouch for
everything he had said, and all his remarks were made from personal observation, not
on mere hearsay. He was not so well acquainted with the West-end, but he had lived
in the South and East-end and visited many of the bakeries. There the state of things
was so bad that it called, in his opinion, for immediate attention at the hands of the
Legislature."