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171
[1903
Information by Factory Inspectors (Sec. 5).—Where a Factory Inspector
finds " any act, neglect, or default, in relation to any drain, water closet, earth
closet, privy, ashpit, water supply, nuisance, or other matter in a factory or
workshop, is punishable or remediable under the law relating to public health "
but not under the Factory and Workshop Act, he shall give the Council notice
in writing.
Having so far explained the duties of the Council and the general scope
of the Act, it becomes the duty of your Medical Officer to report on its
administration.
Administration of the Act.
It may safely be asserted that the administration of this Act in Islington
has been satisfactory, and that all its requirements have been faithfully carried
out, a fact which will become apparent as each particular subject is
reported on. When the Act came into force, Islington, unlike many boroughs,
had been enforcing the provisions of the Public Health Act, 1891, as well as of
the former Factory and Workshops Acts, with the assistance of two special
inspectors, so that when new and increased duties were cast on the Council, in
addition to those which they and their predecessors were already administering,
they too were promptly enforced. That this was really so is made apparent
by the ensuing table which shows some of the work which has been done
during and since 1896. This work relates to the abatement of overcrowding,
the provision of ventilation, the cleansing of dirty rooms, the amendment of
drains, the erection of suitable and efficient w.c. accommodation, the supply of
water for drinking purposes, the provision of surface drains in laundries and
work places where water flowed on the floors (chiefly laundries), and to the
cleansing of workshops. During these years also Islington stood almost alone
among Metropolitan Boroughs in examining lists of outworkers and in sending
the names and addresses of persons living out of the borough to the Medical
Officers of Health of those places where they resided, while the lists which
were received in return were few and far between. The work done by the
Inspectors during those years entailed over forty-one thousand inspections and
visits, from which it may be judged that it was continuous and energetic.
It has been regularly reported on by your Medical Officer of Health and by the
Inspectors themselves, to whom, let it be stated, every credit is due for the
manner of its performance. Formerly it was the rule that hardly a day passed
that anonymous or signed complaints were not received from workers, now it
is the exception ; and, indeed, they are practically unknown, while on the other
hand testimony has been given of the great improvement that has been
effected in every direction.
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