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protection of ' young persons ' employed thereat .* The result was disastrous. The factory inspectors,
two or three in number, at the most, in London, were unable to discharge the duties
which had been carried out, more or less satisfactorily, by numerous sanitary officers, and the
bakehouses fell into a deplorable condition, some account of which was given in my annual
report for 1881 (page 109) in the form of extracts from a report by an assistant factory
inspector. In Kensington, the sanitary inspectors continued their supervision of bakehouses,
in 1879, and subsequently, with manifest advantage; but to a large extent in London
generally, such supervision practically ceased to be exercised. The evils resulting from change
of authority at last became so patent that reversion to the original system was inevitable.
In 1881, the (then) Chief Factory Inspector recommended that the duty of enforcing the provisions
of law should be transferred, in London, from the factory inspectors, who could not
do the work, to the Metropolitan Board of Works, a body which had neither medical officer
nor sanitary inspectors; thus ignoring the sanitary authorities, who, in all other parts of the
kingdom, were recognised by him to be the proper bodies for the purpose. In 1881 I reported
t on the subject to the late Vestry, as follows : —
' The manufacture of bread, as carried on ordinarily, by semi-nude men, is open to
objection, and this should be put an end to by a law requiring the substitution of
machinery for manual labour. By-laws should be framed, to regulate the construction of
bakehouses and flour stores; to provide for cleanliness, by cemented and painted walls,
and by impermeable floors furnishing no holes for insects; and to secure light, ventilation,
etc. There should be no drain inlet within the bakehouse, and no other possible source of
nuisance within reach of it. To sum up, what is required is a Bakehouse
Regulation Act, providing for the licensing of bakehouses, and conferring on sanitary
authorities the power of regulating the trade by by-laws, uniform for the
Metropolis, dealing with—
' (1) The position and construction, including lighting and ventilation, of bakehouses;
' (2) The periodical cleansing of the premises; and
' (3) The materials and utensils employed in the manufacture of bread.'
"In 1882, the Vestry took the matter up, recognising that in the movement to secure
reform of bakehouses the primary step must necessarily be re-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 will be fulfilled in 1904.
" 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 have elapsed, and 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
* See Annual Report for 1879, page 79. † Annual Report for 1881, page 112.
‡ See Memorial in my Annual Report for 1882, page 141.