London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Paddington 1920

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]

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42
workshops
TV.—WORKSHOPS.
Registration.—The resumption of more efficient supervision has had a first result in
reducing the number of effective entries in the Register at the close of 19'20. That fact
1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920
On Register, January 1st 1,421 1,446 1,410 1,436 1,416 1,400 1,479
Removed from Register 138 214 51 75 41 35 174
Added to Register 163 178 77 55 25 114 92
On Register, Dec. 31s 1,446 1,410 1,436 1,416 1,400 1,479 1,397
accounts in part for the relatively large number of removals from the Register during 1920,
but doubtless a proportion of those removals represent failures to carry on businesses opened
in 1919—114 new "workshops" being opened that year. The "fortune of war" of local business
concerns during 1914-20 is sufficiently exemplified by the figures given above.
Table XXVI. Appendix, contains an analysis of the numbers of premises where different
manufactures or trades were carried on at the end of 1920, the corresponding figures (or 1913—
the last "normal" year—being given for comparison. The changes which have taken place
in the status of "workshops" within the Borough in the past eight years are further illustrated by
the subjoined statement. Three trades show notable increases, viz :—bootmaking, cycle and
1913
1920
Factories
(Laundries)
128(32)
168(21)
Workshops
(Domestic)
942(16)
911(9)
Workplaces
36
7
"Single Workers"
(Outworkers)
299(256)
302(261)
motor repairs—both increased—and laundries—decreased. Another striking feature is the
increase in the proportion of "outworkers" from 54 per cent. of all employed in 1913 to 12.8
per cent. in 1920.
The more detailed analyses on which Table XXVI. is based show the employees grouped
as "women," "young persons" and "men." The figures in each category for 1920 are notably
below those for 1913, and they show (see below) a very marked diminution in the number of
"young persons'' employed in 1920.
1913
1920
Women
4184(259)
2161(309)
Young Persons.
629(55)
158(27)
Men
3672(152)
2696(311)
It will be observed that the number of "outworkers"—shown in parentheses—included in
each category has increased.
Out-Workers.—The returns of out-workers employed by local firms show some reduction
during the last two years, those from firms outside the Borough an increase—(See below).
No. of Lists received from
Local Employers— 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920
February 58 56 47 44 39 33 39
August 59 49 45 46 40 39 39
Total for year 117 105 92 90 79 72 78
Local Workers 214 286 180 262 155 145 100
Outlying „ 361 273 374 230 328 240 339
Other Authorities 55 66 69 65 68 63 72
Workers listed 379 359 341 356 372 367 461
No. of Out-Workers on Register,
December 31 343 386 394 381 373 675 647
Home Office : Complaints.—During 1919 and 1920, the complaints numbered 50 (21 in
1919, 29 in 1920) as compared with 6 in each of the years 1917 and 1918. The principal
complaints referred to among other items,[dirty conditions of workplaces (18), overcrowding (1),
insufficient ventilation (2), and lavatory accommodation inadequate, apparatus defective,
etc. (18).
Home Office: Notification.—There were 89 notifications of new workshops during the two
years, as compared with 30 during 1918-19. Of the 89 workshops so reported, 71 had already
been entered on the Department's Register.
Inspections.—In 1919 the Inspector made 2929 inspections, 296 being of new workshops,
and in 1920, 2623 inspections including 123 of new shops. In 1919, 36 workrooms were
measured up and in 1920, 19.