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32
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.
Basement Workrooms.—During the year 11 new basement workrooms
have come into occupation, and 17 were closed, there being at the end of
the year 52 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 1904-1909, 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
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 1910, 400 samples were taken for analysis; of these
400 samples 138 were milk, 135 being returned by the Public Analyst as
genuine samples, one as of inferior quality, and two as adulterated. Of
the 135 genuine samples, three were samples of " separated " milk, which
were sold as such.
One of the adulterated samples was stated to contain 7.5 per cent. of
added water. No proceedings were taken, as the vendor purchased the
milk under a warranty. The other adulterated sample contained 13.1
per cent. of added water. No proceedings were taken in this case, as the
Public Analyst's certificate was not authenticated in accordance with
statute.