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193
From these records it will be evident that considerable alterations have been carried out. The average height is now just
under eight feet. Only seven Bakehouses have less than 1,500
cubic feet capacity and these are not much less than 1,500. To
obtain the necessary height the floors of 15 Bakehouses have been
lowered. My advice at the outset was to the effect that lowering
the floors of Bakehouses should not be sanctioned by the Sub-
Committee, as, in my judgment, such a process tended to make
the underground Bakehouse even more underground than before.
The Committee however deemed it best, under all the circumstances, to offer no opinion as to the ways and means by which
a baker made his Bakehouse satisfactory, but to judge each
Bakehouse as they found it after the owner had made what
alterations he thought necessary. This decision of the Committee
was in keeping with their previous resolve, that, whilst absolutely
insisting upon certain requirements, to which reference has been
made, they would be guided in their judgment by the circumstances
and conditions of each case, judging it on its own merits. Such,
in brief and broadly stated, was the policy of the Committee, who
themselves made a minute enquiry and inspection in every case.
The results of this policy have been two-fold. First, very few
Bakehouses, in point of fact six only, have been closed as
unsuitable. At first sight that appears to be but little to show as
a result of the new Act which no doubt had, at its inception, the
object of closing a large number of these underground Bakehouses. But the second result of the action taken in this Borough
has been an enormous improvement in the 40 underground
Bakehouses certified. It would have seemed incredible at first
that such extensive improvements would have been possible.
Many bakers have incurred great expense in carrying out the
immense improvements which have been made. It is therefore
my duty to report that though there have been few closures the
result of the Act has been a vast improvement, a real and
substantial advance, in the sanitation of Finsbury Bakehouses as
a result of action taken under the new Act.