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side one of the hands at present on the premises, such as the wife of the keeper
of the Shelter, could be asked to act as attendant, payment being made according
to the time occupied. Ido not think any other arrangement is necessary to begin with.
If this is adopted I think a sum of £50 per annum would cover the expenses, and
include such things as hot water, light and soap.
The following is the Surveyor's estimate: —
" Men's and Women's Baths in a portion of the Office situated on the old Depot,
and adjoining the Public Baths, Neckinger.
" The scheme provides for dividing a portion of the building with brick walls
in order to form two separate bath rooms, and fitting each up with baths and
laying the hot and cold water supply on from the laundry section of the Public
Baths adjoining.
"The walls and ceilings will be plastered with Keen's or other approved
cement, in order to render same impervious to vermin and capable of being washed
down with a hose pipe if necessary.
" The specification includes for removing the whole of the present internal
fittings including fireplace and chimney, and the outside gantry, the estimate
for the work being approximately £100."
When the estimates were brought up in March of the present year, the Council agreed to
include an estimate for the above.
Alien Immigration.
The following report was made to the Public Health Committee at their meeting on
September 26th.
" I received information in the early part of last week that a number or aliens
were being landed by ships from Russia at Hay's Wharf. I immediately wrote to the
Port Sanitary Authority requesting them to be good enough to advise me as to the
arrival of vessels carrying them. Accordingly on September 20th I received word of
the arrival of the s.s. Micail from Riga at the above wharf at 5.60 p.m. On arriving
at the wharf I found the ship contained 325 aliens, mostly from Russian Poland.
They seemed to be very poor, ill fed, badly clothed, and some of them not very clean.
About three-fourths were passing through to the Argentine, Canada and the United
States, the rest remaining in London. The Port Medical Officer and his assistants
examined them all carefully at Gravesend, and took the names and addresses of those
who were to remain in London. These addresses are forwarded to the respective
sanitary authorities. Those who were on their way to America were conveyed across
London to St. Paneras in the private omnibuses of the Midland Railway Company. It
seemed to me a somewhat objectionable use to put these vehicles to, so I have written
to the Railway Company suggesting that if they do not already take precautions
against the possible spread of infection or vermin before these omnibuses are hired out
again to the public, they ought to do so. Those aliens who were destined to various
parts of London were conveyed in open brakes. The wharf owners as well as the ship
owners are in the habit of cleansing and disinfecting the places occupied by these
people, so that I think the omnibuses at least should be subjected to similar treatment.
I also wrote to the owners of the brakes. The Midland Railway Company replied stating
that every possible precaution was taken in respect to their vehicles, but I received no reply
from the owners of the brakes.
IV.—FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS.
In Table XIV. of the Appendix will be found particulars of inspections of factories and
workshops, and the action taken, and in the following table some particulars regarding the
number of workshops on the register and the persons employed. In 1905 there were 527
workshops on the register, against 476 in 1904, and in 1903. Including bakehouses, of which
there are 105, the total is 632.
Lead Poisoning.
One case of lead poisoning occurred during the year. The following report was made to
the Public Health Committee on October 31st:-
"On the 17th inst. I received information from Guy's Hospital that A.W., of
26, Wood's Place, was suffering from chronic lead poisoning, which has taken the form
of wrist drop. The patient works in the white-lead department of Messrs. Brandram
Bros., Neptune Street. I have sent a communication to the Home Office on the
subject."
Outworkers.
There were 555 outworkers on the register at the end of 1905. Several of these are on
the register of workshops. 42 lists were sent in by firms in the Borough giving out work. In
spite of the warning notice there is still difficulty in getting these lists regularly. The following
firms were reported for not sending in their lists, but proceedings were not taken, as the