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33
Smoke Nuisance.—The working of the Generating Station, Lots-road,
for the supply of electric current to the Underground Electric Railways of
London, has continued to be satisfactory during the year, so far as the
emission of smoke is concerned, very few complaints having been received.
The alleged discharge of unconsumed cinder ash from the chimneys of the
Chelsea Electricity Supply Company's works in Flood-street, has been the
subject of complaint from time to time by residents in the neighbourhood
of the works, but no action has been possible in reference to these
allegations.
Basement Workrooms.—During the year 29 new basement workrooms
have come into occupation, and 26 were closed, there being at the end of
the year 55 basement workrooms in the Borough, with accommodation for
about 400 workers.
The sanitary conditions of these basement workrooms are by no
means satisfactory in respect of lighting, warming, ventilation, and in
some cases aerial disconnection from water closets. As stated in my
Annual Reports for 1904-1908, I am of opinion that regulations should be
made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, prohibiting the
use of underground rooms for workshops unless they complied with
certain conditions. If such regulations were in force, architects in
designing new buildings for use as shops on the ground floor and
residential flats or sets of chambers on the upper floors, would cause the
underground rooms to conform with the regulations, so that the shops
and basements might be let at the full rental value.
I would suggest that the regulations to be framed should require
(1) a certain proportion of glazed fanlight area (above the street level),
according to the floor surface of the basement room, a certain proportion
of this fanlight area to be made to open for ventilation ; (2) that no room
should be used as a workroom, which has not some means of through
ventilation, either by a window, or through a door and adjoining room
with window, to the back area or courtyard ; (3) that the w.c. should not
be in a vault under the street ventilating directly into the workroom, or
or into an area which is only top-lighted, without means of ventilation,
and which either is part of the workroom or has a window from the
workroom opening into it; (4) that the w.c. should not open directly or
be ventilated into an underground workroom; (5) that there should be an
open fireplace and flue in every basement workroom; or, if a gas stove is
to be used, a proper flue should be provided to carry off the products of
combustion.
It probably would not be possible to make existing underground
workshops comply at once with the regulations to be framed ; but it might
be feasible to apply the regulations to existing workshops after a certain
period, in the same manner as the Factory and Workshops Act Sections
were made to apply to underground bakehouses after a certain period,
which allowed owners and occupiers to make the necessary alterations
after due notice.
The Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
During the year 1909, 400 samples were taken for analysis; of these
400 samples 177 were milk, 167 being returned by the Public Analyst as
genuine samples, and 10 as adulterated. A prosecution was undertaken
in one case, where the sample was certified to contain 6 per cent, of added
water. The sample was referred to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue