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56
HOME-WORK AND WORKERS.
Sec. 107 of the above Act provides that: The occupier of every
factory and workshop and every contractor employed by any such
occupier in the business of the factory or workshop shall—
(a) Keep in the prescribed form and manner, and with the
prescribed particulars, lists showing the names and
addresses of all persons employed by him, either as
workmen or as contractors, in the business of the factory
or workshop, outside the factory or workshop, and the
places where they are employed: and
(b) Send on or before the first day of February and the first
day of August in each year copies of these lists to the
District Council of the district in which the factory or
workshop is situate.
These lists it is the duty of the local authority to examine, and to
forward the names and addresses of every outworker, resident in
other districts, to the local authority of such district.
The object of supplying the local authority with these lists is no
doubt to enable an inspection to be made of the premises on
which such outworkers do their work, and to check work being done
on premises which are in such a state as to be dangerous or injurious
to the health of those employed thereon; or to prevent work being
done under conditions which might lead to an extension of infections
disease.
In order to effect the objects in view, it is obvious that something
more than a mere perfunctory performance of the duty placed upon
the local authority is necessary. The extent of the work needed
may be grasped by studying the following list of outworkers we now
have on the register.
Total outworkers on the register 1583
(a) Outworkers whose addresses were obtained
locally, either from employers or
by inspectors 949
(b) Outworkers whose addresses were forwarded
by other local authorities 634