View report page

54
Outworkers.— Employers in certain trades, particularly those engaged
in the manufacture of articles of clothing, who give out work to be done
in the people's homes, are required twice a year to send in lists of the
names and addresses of such persons so that the places where the work is
carried on may be inspected, and steps may be taken in case of infectious
disease to prevent infected articles being given out from or returned
to the shops if in course of manufacture. Notices were sent to
employers who neglected to send in returns, and those who failed
to reply were visited by an Inspector. No further proceedings had
to be taken. The handling of these lists requires a considerable amount
of clerical work, as the names and addresses of persons living out of
Westminster but receiving work from employers in Westminster have
to be sent to the M.O.H. of the district in which they live. They in
their turn send names of persons living in Westminster receiving work
from employers in their districts.
Details are given in the Table on the page opposite.
After adjusting the lists, it appears that the actual number of outworkers
resident in Westminster is 1,278 (in 1922 the number was
1,311); 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 743.
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 (Secs. 109, 110).