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180
1904]
I have experienced little difficulty in gaining admittance to the homes of workers, as they
are now generally told by their employers that they are liable to be visited by an inspector,
and an explanation of the evils that inspection is expected to check usually reconciles those
who are inclined to resent it as an intrusion.
Restaurant Kitchens.—During the year I have inspected 131 kitchens connected with
dining-rooms, tea-shops, and restaurants. Some of them were in excellent order and very clean,
but in most of them there was room for improvement. The defect that I found most frequently
was the accumulation of refuse on the premises, and I again suggest that it is most desirable
that an effort should be made to secure a daily removal of refuse from such places. I was
struck by the numbers of flies in most of the kitchens in summer, and I find that cockroaches
are a great trouble in many of them also. In some cases there is a great lack of larder accommodation,
and the food is kept in passages, where it is liable to contamination from various
sources. In order to keep the kitchens satisfactorily great care and good management are
necessary.
Miscellaneous Inspections.—I made during the year 97 miscellaneous inspections, They
were chiefly of the sanitary arrangements in factories and steam laundries and of the four
public conveniences for women in the Borough.
I refer to the results of my inspections under the following headings:—
Overcrowding.—Only four cases of overcrowding were discovered in registered workshops
during the year. The overcrowding was abated in each case on notice being given to the
employer. I have distributed 242 cards, stating the cubic capacity of workrooms measured and
the number of persons who may be employed in each.
Cleanliness.—I found 170 workrooms in a dirty condition. 149 of these had been cleansed
and whitewashed under my supervision by the end of the year, the others were dealt with by
the district inspectors. A large proportion of the dirty workrooms were in laundries.
Ventilation.—In three workrooms, structurally insufficiently ventilated, additional ventilators
were provided during the year. There is no doubt that more attention is paid now to the
ventilation of workrooms than was the case ten vears ago, although there is still great room for
improvement. The amendment is partly due to a greater sense of the need of fresh air on the
part of the workers, and partly to the fact that gas jets are not now so often used as a means
of heating as they used to be. This question of heating is a matter in which the inspectors of
the local authority cannot directly interfere, as it is not a "sanitary provision" within the
meaning of the Factory and Workshop Act, and it has therefore to be dealt with by H.M.
Inspectors of Factories.
Sanitary Defects.—In addition to the above-mentioned saniary defects, I have discovered
in the course of my inspections, the existence of 223 nuisances, liable to be dealt with under
the Public Health Act. Details of these are to be found in the table which accompanies this
report. I have served 80 intimation notices, and I have personally supervised the abatement
ct 156 of these nuisances. The remainder have been dealt with by the men inspectors.
Complaints.—I have forwarded to H.M. Principal Lady Inspector of Factories complaints
which have been made to me with regard to excessive and irregular hours of work and unreasonable
deductions from wages.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
JESSY M. S. GRAY,
Sanitary"Inspector of Workshops.