London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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1913]
238
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| Nature of Business. | Number of Workshops. | Number of Workrooms. | Number of Women employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leather work | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Limelight making | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Manufacturing stationers | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Mica goods making | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Music string preparing | 1 | 2 | 28 |
| Ornament making | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Pelisse making | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Perfume making | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Piano key cover making | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Pickling | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Picture frame making | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Pincushion making | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Purse making | 1 | 4 | 20 |
| Sign writing | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Sausage skin making | 1 | 4 | 35 |
| Sun-bonnet making | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Surgical appliance making | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Surgical furniture making | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Surplice making | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| Syphon sundries making | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Tarpaulin making | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Theatrical outfitting | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Underskirt making | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Wax figure making | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 902 | 1502 | 4585 |
There has been a net increase of 16 in the number of factories on the register,, and
a net increase of 602 in the number of women employed in them. The workshops show
a net decrease of 9, and there were 184 women less employed in them. Thus the number
of premises under my observation has increased by 7, and the number of women by 418,
the additional labour being employed in factories. An almost unaccountable slump in certain
trades, particularly the fur and mantle trades, during the fourth quarter of the year, is
probably the primary cause of the decrease in workshops.
The insufficiency of women workers in the district is becoming acute. For instance,
one firm formerly employing 150 women, has recently adapted its factory to a warehouse,
and is now compelled to have the goods made in a provincial town, as it was found
impossible to obtain the necessary amount of lalbour here, although they offered more
advantageous terms than many employers. There are factories in the borough where work
is waiting for practically any number of efficient machinists, and many employers have told
me that they have had to refuse work as they cannot obtain sufficient assistance. The
demand for women workers has resulted in a slight rise in the wages paid to the beginners.
This, unfortunately, leads in some ways to bad results, as if the employer has to pay an
apprentice a relatively high wage, he cannot afford to teach her the trade throughout, but
will keep her to one section of it., wfiere she can soon be of value to hitn. and she has no
opportunity of becoming efficiently trained in all sections of her work, and so fails to fit