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Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
by me. Forty-four of the bakehouses are underground, the remainder are situated in
yards behind the shops. In the whole of the Parish I found only thirteen (a baker's
dozen) in a fairly clean and satisfactory condition, the remainder were either dirty or
badly ventilated. In twenty-eight the filthy custom of sweeping the refuse under the
troughs has been continued, notwithstanding my strong remonstrances. Two of
these were in such a state as to be absolutely unfit for use."
With regard to the conference, I have to report to your Vestry the satisfactory
result that the important resolution, No. 1 on the Agenda Paper, was passed by the
delegates sent, by twenty-seven of the metropolitan sanitary authorities, and this with
only three dissentient voices.
The resolution was to the effect: "That the present state of the law relating to
bakehouses requires amendment by the addition of the following clause to the Public
Health (London) Act, 1891: 'That uniform metropolitan bye-laws regulating bakehouses
be made by the L.C.C., and be confirmed by the Local Government Board,
and that the duty of enforcing these bye-laws shall devolve upon the various local
sanitary authorities.' "
Other amendments and amendments of amendments of a minor character, which
I was unable to follow, were also passed.
Your Vestry clerk will doubtless furnish you in due course with a copy of these
latter resolutions. In conclusion, I would advise that a copy of the resolutions passed
be forwarded to—(a) The Local Government Board; (b) the Home Office; (c) the
Board of Trade; (d) the London County Council; (e) the Metropolitan Vestries and
District Board of Works, as well as to their Medical Officers of Health ; (/) Members
of Parliament interested in the bakehouse question.
The following paper sums up shortly the chief points that require attention in the
construction of a wholesome bakehouse. It is quoted here in order that parishioners
may form a clear idea of the needs and necessities of modern sanitation in this
important matter.
An Ideal Bakehouse.*
" My Lords and Gentlemen,
' Of late the subject of unwholesome bakeries has attracted a good deal of
public attention, but so far there has been little practical outcome to the agitation.
Your Honorary Secretary, Mr. Lawrence, has asked us to read a short paper on
sanitary bakehouses, a request to which we gladly accede, as we believe that anything
which is likely to educate people generally in these matters cannot fail to be a step
in the direction of reform. First of all we will give an outline sketch of an ideal
bakehouse.
"By the term 'ideal bakehouse' we mean a place for the making of bread, so
constructed that it may be healthy for the workmen and be devoid of sources of
contamination to the bread. It should, wherever possible, be above ground. Its
walls should be furnished with a damp-proof course below the floor level, and by a
'dry area' or hollow space, so arranged as to prevent the soil coming into contact
with the main building. Without these precautions it would be impossible to prevent
dampness , especially where porous bricks are used in the construction. The inner
surface of the walls should be smooth, non-absorbont, and made of some material
that can be easily washed. These conditions may be fulfilled by using glazed bricks or
tiles, or by a good lining plaster, such as the best Portland or Parian cement.
* A paper read before the Church Sanitary Association at the Church House, Westminster, Nov. 13,
1894. Quoted in Chap. V. of "Bread, Bakehouses, and Bacteria," by Drs. Waldo and Walsh.