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55
WORKSHOP SUPERVISION.
The supervision of bakehouses and homeworkers are specially provided for under the
Factory and Workshop Act, 1901.
The supervision of workshops and workplaces where women are employed is in the
charge of Miss O'Kell and Miss Nicolas. The former has the northern part of the Borough
and the latter the southern. The distribution of workshops in the Borough is so unequal,
that an arbitrary division not coinciding with any recognised sub-division of the Borough
has been found necessary. Mr. Wansbrough looks after workshops where males are employed
and assists in the inspection of workshops where both sexes are employed. He also inspects
bakehouses, to which duty he has been obliged to devote a large part of his time during the
past year.
Under Sec. 131 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, registers have to be kept of all
workshops in the Borough, and, under Sec. 107, records of the lists of homeworkers (outworkers)
sent in by employers, together with particulars of information transmitted to or received
from the officers of other districts. These duties, which involve a considerable amount of
clerical work, are performed by the Inspectors, not by the clerical staff.
The registers are kept in the form of books, inspection cards and manilla cases. The
cards serve as memoranda for reference at subsequent inspections, the Register required by
the Act being in book form. The manilla cases form " dossiers " in which reports, &c.,
relating to each workshop are filed. Outworkers and workplaces are recorded in the same
way, as many of the rooms occupied by the former are workshops within the meaning of
the Act, and the latter may at any date become so by the employment of additional workers.
The homeworkers' (outworkers') lists received from employers and contractors are filed
in manilla cases, the names and addresses of workers residing in other districts being first
abstracted and forwarded to the medical officers of health of the respective districts. The
particulars forwarded are recorded in a special press-copied register.
Registration.—At the end of 1902, 901 "work premises"* were on the Register. During
the past year, 320 premises were added to the Register, and 150 removed therefrom, leaving
1,131 effective entries at the close of the year. The 1,131 premises comprised 1,704 workrooms,
the estimated number of workers therein being 6,444 persons, viz., 4,757 women, 700
"young persons," and 921 men. These figures are liable to such frequent changes that they
can be accepted as estimates only, probably much below the actual numbers. In Table 34
will be found a summary of the principal businesses carried on in the Borough, and the
numbers of persons employed therein.
The Home Office forwarded 24 notices relating to new workshops, but in every case the
premises had already been placed on the Departmental Register prior to the information
being received.
Outworkers (Homeworkers).—Circular letters were issued in February and August directing
the attention of those thought likelv to have outworkers, to the provision of Sec. 107 of
the factory and Workshop Act, 1901. In February, 53 lists were received, and in August 49.
Naturally, the names of some of the outworkers appear in both returns, and it will therefore
suffice to say that at the end of the year 261 premises were on the local Register as
* Including " factories," " workshops," " domestic factories," and " domestic workshops " (as defined by the
Factory and Workshop Act, 1901), " workplaces," and "single worker's work-rooms" but not bakehouses and
places where food is prepared for sale.