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At the end of 1936 there were 898 premises on the Register. During 1937, 103 premises were
removed from the Register and 66 added, making the total at the end of the year 861.
The Department reported to the Home Office 1 case in which the prescribed abstract of the
Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, was not displayed, and received from that Office notice of 5 workshops,
4 of which were already known to the Department.
Homework (Outworkers).—Local employers of outworkers sent in 14 lists in February and 13 in
August. These lists contained 234 names and addresses of which 206 were forwarded to other
districts. From other districts 227 addresses within the Borough were received.
No instances were discovered during the year of outwork being carried on in unwholesome premises
(Section 108).
Supervision.—There were during the year 678 inspections, comprising 241 of factories, 416 of
workshops and 21 of workplaces.
There were 70 nuisances or defects found upon registered premises, nearly all of which were
remedied during the year, the majority being remedied on verbal request. The defects found are
shown in the above Table.
The Home Office forwarded 3 complaints, which comprised:—
Sanitary conveniences not separate for sexes 1
Other offences 2
Bakehouses.—During the year 1 level bakehouse was opened, the total number on the Register
at the end of the year being 70, of which 51 were factory bakehouses. The number of level bakehouses
was 31 (15 being factories), and of underground 39 (36 being factories).
The bakehouses were inspected on 375 occasions during the year.
Rag Flock.—Little, if any, rag flock is used in the Borough, and no samples were taken during
the year.
SHOPS ACTS, 1934 and 1937.
The Shops Act, 1934, enacts that in every part of a shop in which persons are employed about
the business of the shop:—
(а) Suitable and sufficient means of ventilation shall be provided and suitable and
sufficient ventilation shall be maintained ;
(б) suitable and sufficient means shall be provided to maintain a reasonable temperature
and a reasonable temperature shall be maintained.
The Act also enacts that:—
"In every shop, not being a shop which is exempted, there shall be provided and maintained
suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences available for the use of persons
employed in or about the shop."
A shop is exempted if there is in force a certificate exempting the shop, granted by the Council,
and any such certificate remains in force until it is withdrawn by the authority. No such certificate
may be granted unless the Council is satisfied that by reason of restricted accommodation or other
special circumstances affecting the shop it is reasonable that such a certificate should be in force,
apd that suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences are otherwise conveniently available.
A certificate must be withdrawn if the Council is at any time not satisfied that it should remain
in force.
The Shops Act, 1937, which came into operation on the 1st January, 1937, extended, for the
purposes of the Shops Acts, 1912 and 1934, the expression "retail trade or business" so as to include
the business of lending books or periodicals when carried on for purposes of gain.
On the 4th February, 1936, the Council adopted the following standards regarding sanitary
accommodation:—
In shops where members of both sexes are employed separate sanitary conveniences for each sex
are to be provided if the number of assistants exceeds four; but if the number is four, or less, one
sanitary convenience is to be regarded as suitable and sufficient, provided that the door of such
convenience is fitted with a proper lock or fastener on the internal side and an automatic indicator
showing on the external side of the door whether the apartment is engaged or vacant.
With regard to the distance from a shop at which an outside convenience may be situate,
generally speaking, no certificate of exemption is to be granted unless the sanitary convenience
provided for a male assistant is less than 100 yards from the shop, and it may be a public or private
convenience. As regards a female shop assistant, the maximum distance is to be 25 yards and the
convenience must be a private one.