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170
and cleanliness is essential to success in business. The same cannot
be said of a great number of the small workshops situated in or at
rhe back of residential houses. Many of these are of long standing and
associated with the early industries of Clerkenwell and the parish of
St. Luke, such as jewellery, watchmaking, plating, etc. Many of
such workshops are not kept as cleanly as they might well be. This
is partly due to deterioration of premises and decline of trade, and
partly to their situation. It is almost impossible to maintain
cleanliness in small sheds in back yards. Sometimes too, the
processes themselves are of a nature to make cleanliness difficult
Perhaps 30 or 40 per cent. of these workshops are open to criticism
on account of uncleanliness. During the year 140 workshops in all
parts of the Borough have been found to require notices for
cleansing.
(b) Air Space.—Taking the standard of 250 cubic feet per head as
laid down in Section 3 of the Act, it may be said that comparatively
few Finsbury workshops have been found in 1903 to be overcrowded.
In 28 cases it has been necessary to issue notices. In other cases a
slight re-arrangement of workers has provided that each person
shall have at least 250 cubic feet. In many of the large workshops
the air space provided is liberal. In general, workshops in Finsbury
are not ventilated by fan or other artificial means, but some are
warmed with hot water pipes. Further, it may be said that as a result
of the action of one of H.M. Lady Inspectors of Factories, a great
deal has been done in the direction of providing means of warming
workshops.
(c) Ventilation. — Here, also, it may be said that it is exceptional
to meet with a workshop in the Borough which is not provided with
sufficient means of ventilation. The first clause of the section (7-i.)
requiring that " sufficient ventilation shall be maintained " would
appear to throw some onus upon the workers themselves. We
have, again, frequently found that even where ample means of
ventilation is provided workers themselves prevent ventilation by not
maintaining in operation the means provided.
(d) Drainage of Floors where wet processes are carried on.—The
only " wet processes " carried on in Finsbury, speaking generally