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215
1908

Workshops—General Remarks.—During the year the names and addresses of 144 workplaces
where women are employed have been forwarded to the Home Office in compliance
with Section 133 of the Factory Act. These are premises where the required Abstract is not
affixed, or if affixed, where it was found on inquiry that the premises had not been visited
by H.M. Inspector. The inquiry in this case is made because sometimes the occupiers of
workshops buy abstracts and affix them, and then consider that their responsibility ends
there. This is probably due to an imperfect knowledge of the law. A small percentage of the
places notified were Factories, and although there is no obligation under the Act to notify
such, these also were forwarded as a matter of courtesy, and are included in the accompanying
list on p. 207.
The local inspectors have more opportunity of ascertaining the existence of new
workplaces than H.M. Inspectors, as the area visited by them is more circumscribed. Every
effort is made, as already pointed out, to find new workshops, and it is probable that almost
all are found. It is, however, possible that an occasional one may escape attention for some
time, as in the case of one found recently, where it was stated that employment to a certain
extent had been going on for seven years. There were no outward signs of a workplace or
anything to differentiate it from an ordinary dwelling, until for the first time a dressmaker's
bill was put in the window, which attracted immediate attention. Most of the workshops
are found by watching the advertisements for employees. Advertising is looked upon by
some occupiers as a direct and legitimate mode of notifying to the (local inspector the
existence of a workshop. Latterly, however, it has been noticed that sometimes no address
is given and application is to be made at the office of the paper. This is possibly with a
view to conceal employment, though, generally speaking, workshop occupiers do not resent
inspection, and are also wilding to volunteer all manner of information about the work,
the processes and methods of work, the rate of pay, etc. This information, though not
directly connected with the work of inspection, yet is interesting, as illustrating conditions
of industry which are in a way bound up with it.
There is still a general outcry about the low rate of pay given to outworkers, and it
is to be hoped that the recommendations made to Government by the Select Committee on
Home Work may be carried into effect at an early date by the establishment of wages