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136
conditions, states as to cleanliness, warming, lighting, and
ventilation, and also as to the numbers of work-people
employed in the workrooms (together with the nature of
their employments or works); whilst a card (as required)
has been hung up in each separate workroom, stating the
exact number of persons to be employed therein at any one
time in (a) ordinary work and (3) overtime—a minimum
250 cubic feet per person being required by Statute in the
former case, and 400 cubic feet in the latter. These are the
amounts at present required by Section 1 of the Factory
and Workshop Act, 1895, but they are small enough; more
especially as no allowance (except by special Order of the
Secretary of State) is made for gas jets (or artificial
illumination, other than electric light) burning whilst the
employes are at work.
The importance of good ventilation and a pure (and
reasonably warm) condition of atmosphere in workshops,
needs only to be mentioned to be acknowledged; whilst
the more attention that is paid to the conditions under
which the workpeople live during their hours of work, the
better the state of their health, and the more (in quantity
and quality) work obtained. Fortunately, employers of
labour are beginning to realise more fully this fact, as the
knowledge of sanitary science spreads.
I have tabulated the results of the inspections (extending
over two years), and am in a position now to put forward
some interesting (and satisfactory) particulars, which go a
long way to prove that the sanitary condition of the
Lambeth Workshops is as good as, if not belter than, that
of the Workshops of the rest of the Metropolis or of the
Provinces.