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and confectioner, with remarks showing how far the chief
provisions of the Act were complied with, or not.
The total number is 95, of whom nine are confectioners
purely.
The first question to which we directed our attention was,
as to cleanliness ; and the answer we record is that 49 were
clean, and 46 required limewashing; but it must be remembered
that this in most cases was accidental. In eight cases
the floor was noticed to be much out of repair; a thing
somewhat hostile to cleanliness.
The second point was the ventilation, which we noted to
be good in 87 and bad in 8. When we say "good," we do
not mean theoretically perfect, but simply as good as it can
be made under the circumstances, or as testifying to the fact
that pains have been taken to make it good. Of those
marked bad, six seemed capable of improvement; the best
term for the other two would be "impossible."
The third point was, are there any drains, sinks, &c., &c.,
from which there could be an escape of sewer air into the
bakehouse ? There were eleven cases in which sinks without
traps were found in the bakehouses; there were two cases in
which nuisances were created by untidy and disgusting habits
of the men: in all the other cases, provided common care
and cleanliness were used, there was no reason why the bakehouse
should be contaminated with sewer air. Advantage
was taken by Mr. Grant of his visit to inspect the whole
premises, and in seven cases he detected various nuisances;
in one case a most tremendous and abominable old cesspool
on a baker's premises, but not in strict connection with the
bakehouse, and therefore coming under the general provisions
of the Nuisances Removal Act, and not of the Bakehouses Act.
The next question is, whether boys under 18 were employed
in nightwork, i.e., between 9 p.m., and 5 a.m.? On