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80
"In 1882 the Vestry took the matter up, recognising that in the movement to secure reform
of bakehouses the primary step must necessarily be transference to the sanitary authority of
the duty of inspecting the premises and regulating the business. The support of the sanitary
authorities was invoked, and support was given to the movement by the Society of Medical
Officers of Health, who addressed to the Home Secretary a memorial* on the subject, which I
had drafted, and requested an interview, which was not granted. At about the same time,
the Operative Bakers and Confectioners' Union, who had taken up the matter in the interests of
the personal health and welfare of the employes, were more favoured, having obtained audience
not only of the Home Secretary, but also of the President of the Local Government Board, with
whom the State Secretary had informed the medical officers that he was in communication on
the subject. The deputation was introduced by Mr. Broadhurst, M.P., who quoted a paragraph
from the operatives' memorial setting out their grievances, and alleging that ' almost any kitchen
or cellar was turned into a bakehouse, often in close proximity to drains, many being even
undrained, and totally unfit places for the manufacture of food.' The deputation laid emphasis
on the fact that 'the unsatisfactory condition of bakehouses seriously affected the wholesome
character of bread.' The Secretary of State in his reply said, that the Government proposed, by
legislation, to prevent the construction of underground bakehouses in the future—a pledge
which has some prospect of being fulfilled two years hence.
"The Chief Factory Inspector returned to the subject in his annual report for 1882, emphasising
the necessity of conferring power on the authority who should have control over the
construction of bakehouses, to make by-laws for regulating the conduct of the business. This
'authority' in London, had his views prevailed, would have been the Metropolitan Board of
Works. With reference to this point, in the annual report for 1882 (page 146), I observed that—
'Having regard to the desirability of uniformity in by-laws . . . the power of
framing such as are necessary for regulating the construction and sanitary supervision of
bakehouses should be vested (in the Board), provided that the by-laws so framed are submitted
to the Local Government Board for confirmation but the duty of inspection,
and generally of carrying out the by-laws, should be entrusted to the sanitary authorities.'
Twenty years afterwards we are still without by-laws!
"In 1883, the Government brought in another Factory and Workshop Bill—it became
law in the last hours of the session—which restored to the Vestries their former position of ' local
authority,' so far as related to cleanliness, ventilation, overcrowding, and other matters affecting
the sanitary condition of bakehouses; viz., by enabling them to enforce sections 3, 33, 34 and 35
of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1878.† The measure was imperfect, falling far short of the
recommendations of the Vestry, but it was a step gained ; and the Society of Medical Officers
of Health, desiring to make the most of it, embodied the provisions of law in a code of ' Suggestions
for Regulations with respect to Bakehouses,' which the Vestry had printed in large
type and mounted on cardboard, a copy being supplied for suspension in each of the bakehouses.‡
* See Memorial in my Annual Report for 1882, page 141.
† On the passing of the Act, I prepared an abstract of the provisions relating to bakehouses, with all necessary
information for the guidance of master and journeymen bakers, a copy of which was furnished to the several
occupiers of bakehouses in the parish.
‡ The Regulations were as follows:—
" 1. Every bakehouse shall be kept in a cleanly state, and free from effluvia arising from any
drain, privy, water closet, or other nuisance. The floors shall be carefully swept at least
once every twenty-four hours, and the sweepings shall be immediately placed in an impermeable
covered receptacle, and removed from the bakehouse at not longer intervals than
every seven days.
"2. All the inside walls of the rooms of the bakehouse, and all the ceilings or tops of such
rooms, and all the passages and staircases of the bakehouse, shall either be painted with oil,
or varnished, or limewashed. Where painted with oil or varnished, there shall be three
coats of paint or varnish, and the paint or varnish shall be renewed once at least in every
seven years, and shall be washed with hot water and soap once at least in every six months.
Where limewashed the limewashing shall be renewed once at least in every six months.
The cleansing should be done in the months of April and October.
" 3. The troughs and all the utensils used in the making of bread and pastry shall be kept
scrupulously clean.
" 4. A place on the same level with the bakehouse, and forming part of the same building, shall
not be used as a sleeping place—
(а) Unless it is effectually separated from the bakehouse by a partition extending from
the floor to the ceiling.
(b) Unless there be an external glazed window of at least 9 superficial feet of area, of
which at least 4½ superficial feet are made to open for ventilation.
" 5. No water closet, earth closet, privy, or ash-pit shall be within, or communicate directly
with, the bakehouse.
" 6. Any cistern for supplying water to the bakehouse shall be separate and distinct from any
cistern for supplying water to a water closet.
" 7. No drain or pipe for carrying off fæcal or sewage matter shall have an opening within the