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125
I have again to advise the Committee that, in my opinion, it is
absolutely necessary to fill the vacant appointment. The results
of the work carried out during 1911 amply demonstrate that the
advice I tendered the Committee at the time of Miss Fairbairn's
resignation was justified. The duties of the female Workshop
Inspector were mainly concerned with Workshop duties under the
Factory and Workshop Act, but, in addition, she was able to do
other work of a highly important character, e.g., enquiries into the
deaths of infants, visiting and inspecting the house of verminous
children, &c. The main part of her duties was handed over to the
Male Workshop Inspector, who, indeed, has carried it out to the best
of his ability, but it is apparent that his own work has, in consequence,
suffered by comparison with his work of past years. This
officer had already as much work as he could with efficiency accomplish,
and, apart from the undesirability, in my opinion, of his
carrying out the inspection of female workshops and outworkers'
premises, duties which should always be entrusted to a woman
inspector, it could not be expected that he could successfully cope
with another officer's duties added to his own. The Male Workshop
Inspector, in addition to his routine Factory, Workshop and Home
Work inspection, has had other important duties to fulfil, viz., the
inspection of dairies and milkshops, ice-cream premises, restaurant
kitchens, fish-shops and other premises where food is stored or
prepared for human food.
In comparing the figures for 1910 with those for 1911,1 find that
there has been, as was to be expected, a large decrease in the number
of inspections under the Factory and Workshop Act.