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There has been during the past year almost a complete absence of
any demand by the Education Authority for the cleansing of the persons
or disinfection of the clothing of elementary school children, nor have any
similar requests been received from inmates of common lodging houses
in the Borough.
Smoke Nuisance.—The working of the Generating Station, Lotsroad,
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 5 new basement workrooms
have come into occupation, and 3 were closed, there being at the
end of the year 54 basement workrooms in the Borough, with accomodation
for some 400 workers.
As mentioned in my seven preceding Annual Reports, the sanitary
conditions of these basement workrooms are by no means satisfactory in
respect of lighting, warming, ventilation, and, in some cases, aerial
disconnection of water-closets from workrooms.
On behalf of the Women's Industrial Council a Bill to amend the
Factory and Workshops Acts (1901 and 1907), in respect of underground
premises used as Factories, Workshops, or Workplaces in which
persons of either sex are employed, is to be introduced in the House of
Lords by the Duke of Devonshire in the forthcoming session of
Parliament. The Bill is drafted on lines similar to those contained in
Section 101 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, dealing with
underground Bakehouses, and will, if it finds its way into the Statute
Book, provide a remedy for the insanitary conditions now so often found
to prevail in this class of workshop.
The Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
During the year 1911, 400 samples were taken for analysis; of
these 400 samples 159 were milk, 146 being returned by the Public
Analyst as genuine samples, 5 as of inferior quality, and 8 as adulterated.
Of the 8 adulterated samples, no proceedings were taken in 6 cases; in
three because the Vendors purchased the milk under Warranties (4 6
per cent. added water; 67 per cent. fat abstracted; 11 percent. fat
abstracted); and in three cases because the amount of adulteration was
insufficient to justify proceedings (4.2 per cent. added water; 31 per
cent. added water; 2.4 per cent. added water).
In two cases proceedings were taken, both samples forming part of
a consignment delivered at the Chelsea Infirmary, in pursuance of a
contract between the Vendor and the Guardians. In one case, where
the milk was certified to be adulterated with 33 per cent. of added
water, a penalty of £10 was inflicted; the summons in respect of the
other sample (8 per cent. added water) was dismissed.
The adulterated milks in 1911 formed 5 per cent. of the total
number of milks analysed, as compared with 15 per cent. in 1910.