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Town district there are in addition many 'outworkers'—women who take in ironing for the
large laundries. Further enquiry is being made as to these persons and their abodes, which, as
' workplaces,' will have to be registered, inspected, and supervised.
"Cubic Stace.—In the 195 workshops, etc., newly registered, 179 rooms only (out of
about 700) have as yet been measured, in order to ascertain the number of persons who may
lawfully occupy each room, upon the scale of 250 cubic feet per person, in conformity with the
requirements of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1895, section 1; which accords with the scale
adopted by the late vestry in 1893. The small number of rooms hitherto measured, compared
with the number of newly registered workshops, is owing to the fact that though the new
premises transferred to the Borough of Kensington have been visited, in order to ascertain the
exact number of workshops, etc., requiring to be registered, time has not yet permitted the
whole number of rooms to be systematically inspected and cubed. Numerous rooms in workshops
already registered were measured during the year, such rooms having been enlarged, or
newly opened as additional workrooms.
"Overcrowding.—Twenty-three workrooms were found to be overcrowded, being three
in excess of the number in 1899. The cases in North Kensington occurred entirely in workshops
recently transferred to the borough. It is satisfactory to note that in no case was a
workroom found so much overcrowded as during the preceding year; and the nuisance has not
been observed this season in the two cases that were last season specially reported to the
Sanitary Committee. It is also interesting to note the diminution of overcrowding in workrooms
that has taken place since female inspectors were appointed for this duty in 1893, in
which year out of 1,061 workrooms inspected, 56 were found to be overcrowded. In 1895, out
of 2,656 workrooms inspected, 66 were found to be overcrowded; in many cases to the extent of
three or four persons beyond the .permissible number. In 1900, out of 2,710 workrooms
inspected, only 23 were found to be overcrowded, and none seriously.
" Defective Workshops, Yards, etc.—At many of the registered premises, chiefly
laundries, roofs and floors were found in a defective state. In several cases the necessary work
of reparation was carried out after service of written intimations only; in other cases after
service of statutory notices. Several yards and washliouse floors have been levelled and repaired,
much to the benefit of employers and employed alike. In numerous instances staircases
leading to workrooms were found dilapidated and unsafe. These have been repaired, and in
three cases (laundries) almost entirely renewed.
"Cleansing, Whitewashing, etc.—Two hundred and twenty-five rooms, with staircases
and passages connected therewith, were cleansed and whitewashed, or re-papered, on service of
intimations or notices.
" Sanitary Conveniences.—Three water-closets with no direct light or ventilation to the
outer air, have been much improved; in the one case by a window through the outer wall, and
in the other two by ventilating shafts. Seventy water-closets, found to be either dirty or
dilapidated, or defective in water supply, were renovated, more or less satisfactorily.
"Warming of Workrooms.—The provisions of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1895,
Section 32 (which enacts that ' in every factory and workshop adequate measures shall be taken
for securing and maintaining a reasonable temperature in each room in which any person is
employed ') are now very fairly carried out, with great addition to the comfort of the workers,
and, I believe, with advantage to the employers. I am pleased to report that in several cases,
fires have been substituted for the injurious open gas-jets formerly employed to heat the rooms
by day. I regret, however, to find that there is still a small minority of employers who do not
realise the importance of efficiently warming their workrooms. One would have expected that
consideration for the success of their business, if not for the health of their employees, would
have induced them to provide means of warming, as, in dressmaking businesses especially, much
time must be lost if the workers' hands are cold. I may instance one case of neglect in regard
to this matter, at an establishment where between 60 and 70 women and girls were employed, in
numerous workrooms, without means of warming in any room. On my visiting the place, I
found the employees blue with cold, and frequently stopping their work to try to rub warmth
into their hands. The temperature of the rooms varied from 42° to 48° Fahr. These rooms
are now all warmed by good fires.
"Ventilation.—In the report of the Women Inspectors for 1894, mention is made of the
vitiated state of the atmosphere of workrooms, particularly in dressmaking and tailoring
establishments, owing chiefly to the use of gas iron-heaters in the rooms, unprovided with
means of carrying away the fumes. Much was done to improve matters in this respect by my