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64 workshop supervision.
were received from the beginning of the operations. A report on the case was submitted to
the Public Health Committee under date of 20th of the same month, in which an opinion was
given as to the total unsuitability of the place for the purpose. Proceedings were instituted
against the Contractor under Section 21 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, which,
although without any decided result (that is, a conviction) were effective in securing the
erection of a high fence between the wharf and the road, and the exercise of much care to
obviate nuisance. The summer weather proving somewhat unseasonable, the nuisance due
to smells and flies which was anticipated was comparatively slight.*
Canal Boats.—Inspector Potter was appointed to succeed Inspector Biorn as Inspector
of Canal Boats on the latter's retirement in September of last vear.
The annual report of the Examiner of Canal Boats was submitted to the Council, and
forwarded to the Local Government Board at the end of January. There were a few trifling
breaches of the Act, which were all remedied. No legal proceedings were necessary.
The number of boats at present on the Register is 150, 49 boats having been struck off.
Of the 150 only 37 can at present be traced but the remaining 113 are kept on the Register
pending further enquiries.
One case of erysipelas (f., aetat. 8) but no deaths occurred among the occupants of the
boats.
WORKSHOP SUPERVISION.
This subject is dealt with in pursuance of Section 132 of the Factory and Workshop Act,
1901, which requires the Medical Officer of Health to "report specifically" on the
adminstration of the Act within his district. The Home Office issues a memorandum on the
subjects to be included in such report. In addition to the tables prepared by the Department,
which are included in the text, a special form is required by the Home Office, which will
be found in the Appendix (Table VIII).
Registration.—To the Registers of the Department, which contained 1,532 premises at the
close of 1908, there were added 230 premises during 1909, and 74 premises were removed,
leaving 1,688 effective entries at the close of last year, a nett increase of 156. The premises
then on the Registers, included 149 factories, 979 workshops, 25 domestic workshops, 69 workplaces,
and 466 premises occupied by "single workers," 306 of the last being included in the
Register of Outworkers' premises. Table 43 gives an analysis of the businesses, and an
approximation of the numbers of employees, the figures relating to homeworkers being shown
in parentheses.
The Home Office forwarded to the Department 53 notices relating to the opening of
new workshops, 32 of which had, however, been previously inspected by the Staff of the
Department.
Home Work.—Employers of homeworkers (outworkers) forwarded 96 lists in February
and 81 in August of last year, making a total of 177, as compared with 150 in 1908 and 101
in 1907. The addresses included in the returns numbered 716, of which 426 had to be
forwarded to other districts in accordance with the Act. From other districts 309 (359 in
1908) addresses (contained in 57 lists) were received. (See next page).
*The use of the "wharf" was discontinued at the end of March of the current year, the Contract not
being renewed on its termination.