Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Annual report on the health, sanitary condition, &c., &c., of the Parish of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington for the year, 1899
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of the medical officer of health under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891 (sec. 27) to "give written notice
to the factory inspector" of "any child, young person, or
woman employed in a workshop," and this has been done,
since October, 1893, in a large number of instances, upon information
acquired for me by the lady inspectors. I report,
moreover, to Her Majesty's Superintending Inspector of
Workshops, &c., every workshop and workplace newly opened
or discovered by the inspector; and, reciprocally, that gentleman
forwards to me all written notices received from persons
intimating intention to occupy premises as workshops or
workplaces. The Superintending Inspector reports to me
cases of overcrowding discovered by his assistants, and cases
of dirty and insanitary premises observed by those officers,
and requiring to be dealt with under the Acts; it being the
duty of the sanitary authority to take steps to abate such
nuisances. The necessary steps have been taken in many
instances (since October, 1893), under the authority of the
sanitary committee. The sanitary authority and their
officers possess " all such powers of entry, inspection, taking
legal proceedings or otherwise," as a factory inspector has
under the principal Act, i.e., the Act of 1878. The powers
of the sanitary authority in regard to the inspection and
supervision of workshops, in order to the enforcement of the
law, are ample. But lest they should be allowed to fall into
desuetude, or be wilfully neglected, power is given, by sections
1 and 2 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1891, which enables
the factory inspector to supersede a defaulting authority in
the execution of their duties in respect of workshops or
laundries; and to recover from the authority, in whose
district the workshops or laundries are situated, "all such
expenses in and about any proceedings . . . . as he
may incur,"