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imperfectly lighted by a hinged sash in the stall-board of the shop; this, moreover, being the
principal if not the only means of ventilation. In practice, however, the window is seldom
opened—for operative bakers, who work in great heat, are very susceptible to the ill effects of
draughts—and when opened it admits dust and other street filth blown in from the carriageway.
It would seem impossible to a sanitary authority to ' certify ' a bakehouse so situated,
so constructed, so ill-lighted, and practically unventilated, to be ' suitable' for the purposes of
of a business demanding the utmost cleanliness.
" But we have not yet done with the new provisions of law, for it is further enacted, in
sub-section (7), that—
' In the event of the refusal of a certificate by the District Council, the occupier of
the bakehouse may within twenty-one days from the refusal, by complaint apply to a
court of summary jurisdiction, and if it appears to the satisfaction of the court that the
bakehouse is suitable for use as regards construction, light, ventilation, and in all other
respects, the court shall thereupon grant a certificate of suitability of the bakehouse,
which shall have effect as if granted by the District Council.'
" In a word, a single magistrate, who may be without practical knowledge or experience
in regard to the matter, may override the decision of the District Council—a sanitary
authority acting upon the advice of their expert officers.
" It is, of course, to be hoped that no such conflict will arise in the execution of the law,
but that the trade will themselves take steps to bring matters to a satisfactory settlement in
conformity with the requirements of the Act and the necessities of the case. It should not be
difficult to establish co-operative bakeries, if it were found impracticable for each baker to
provide himself with a ' suitable' bakehouse above or under ground. Probably a solution
may be found in a new system, under which bakers' shops should become, in the main, distributing
agencies, or places for the sale of bread made in large wholesale bakeries, where this
staple article of human food shall have been prepared by machinery. Nothing better could
be desired—looking at the matter from the point of view proper to the sanitary authority.
In any case, the matter should not be allowed to drift, for if the bakers do nothing, and if
the sanitary authorities fail to make their views known, it may be alleged, and not unreasonably,
on the expiration of the period of grace, that the people cannot be supplied with the
' staff of life' should ' unsuitable' underground bakehouses be closed, in conformity with the
express provisions of the new Act."
The above report was referred to the Public Health Committee, who after careful enquiry
and anxious deliberation, reported to the Council, as follows :—
" We have had before us, pursuant to the reference by the Council of the 15th April last,
paragraph 10 of the report of the Medical Officer of Health dated 29th March, 1902, under
the heading ' The Factory and Workshop Act, 1901: Bakehouses.' We have also had before
us subsequent reports by the Medical Officer of Health, giving the results of his personal inspection
of the 95 underground bakehouses in the Borough, and the measurements and other
data which have been collated in connection therewith. We have ascertained that it is the
intention of all the occupiers of this particular class of workshop to apply for certificates
of fitness enabling them to continue the use of their several premises after the 1st January,
1904, and have appointed a Sub-Committee for the purpose of visiting a number of the
underground bakehouses in the Borough, with a view to arriving at a standard of suitability
which might be communicated to the respective occupiers. We have now received a report
from the Sub-Committee, which we submit, in full, for the information of the Council, as
follows: —
21st January, 1903.
Previously to our appointment, the Committee caused a letter to be written to each
occupier of an underground bakehouse with a print of Sections 101 and 102 of the Factory
and Workshop Act, 1901, hereafter set out, making enquiry whether he intended to apply
to the Council for a certificate. We have received answers from all occupiers notifying
their intention to apply.
The following are the Sections of the Act of 1901 specially applicable to underground
bakehouses:—
101.—(1) An underground bakehouse shall not be used as a bakehouse unless it was
so used at the passing of this Act.
(2) Subject to the foregoing provision, after the first day of January, one thousand
nine hundred and four, an underground bakehouse shall not be used unless certified by
the District Council to be suitable for that purpose.
(3) For the purpose of this section an underground bakehouse shall mean a bakehouse
any baking room of which is so situate that the surface of the floor is more than
three feet below the surface of the footway of the adjoining street or of the ground
adjoining or nearest to the room. The expression ' baking room ' means any room used
for baking or for any process incidental thereto.