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63
After adjusting the lists, it appears that the actual number of outworkers
resident in Westminster is 1,311 (in 1921 the number was
1,249); this is less than the apparent number shown on the accompanying
table, as more than one employer may send work to the same person.
The number of houses in which out-work is carried on was 725.
These premises have been visited specially by the woman sanitary
inspector, and also by the male inspectors in the course of their
ordinary work. Defects relating to cleansing of walls or defective or
insufficient W.C. accommodation, unventilated gas heaters, dirty floors,
presence of bugs, &c., were found and amended in a number of
instances. No prosecutions were taken for doing outwork in unwholesome
premises (Sec. 108) or in infected premises (Sees. 109, 110).
By-laws for Regulating Business of Rag and Bone Dealer.
The Council, at their meeting on the 8th May, 1913, directed that
representations be made to the Local Government Board, the Home
Secretary and the London County Council, pointing out that section 6
of the proposed By-laws, if adopted, would permit of a bedroom opening
directly out of a room used for the storage and manipulation of rags, bones,
fat, rabbit skins and other like articles, and suggesting that the words
of sub-section (1) (d) of section 8 of the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1908, should, as far as practicable, be substituted for this
proposed By-law.
By-law 6 of the proposed By-laws reads as follows:—
"A person carrying on the business of a rag and bone dealer
shall not cause or suffer any rags, bones, fat, rabbit skins or other
like articles to be stored or manipulated in any room or place upon
his premises used as a sleeping room or place. He shall not cause
or suffer any rags, bones, fat, rabbit skins or other like articles to be
stored or manipulated in any room or place upon his premises which
communicates directly, otherwise than by means of a close-fitting
and self-closing door, with any sleeping apartment or with any stair,
case or passage leading to any sleeping apartment."
The sub-section of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1908, which the City Council suggested should, as far as practicable,
be substituted for the above, provides as follows:—
"No such room shop or other part of a building shall be used as
sleeping place and so far as may be reasonably necessary to prevent
risk of the infection or contamination of any such article as aforesaid
no sleeping place shall adjoin such room shop or other part of a building
and communicate therewith except through the open air or
through an intervening ventilated space."