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44
During the year 24 premises were added to the Register. At the
end of the year 1903, 161 places Were on the Register.
In no case was overcrowding discovered on any of the premises
inspected. As a rule, proper attention is given to ensure a satisfactory
provision as regards sanitary conveniences, but in one or two instances
it has been necessary to demand extra water-closet accommodation.
In respect to warming and ventilation, the workrooms will doubtless
compare favourably with those of most other metropolitan districts,
but I am unable to say that in the majority of cases the warming
and ventilation can be regarded as wholly satisfactory. There is a
great prejudice amongst the workers against obtaining fresh air by
open windows, and even if extra provision for ventilation is made, the
workers almost invariably close such ventilators during the working
hours. I am of opinion that this circumstance is largely due to the fact
that in many cases the workrooms are not efficiently warmed, and the
workers, therefore, find it necessary to keep the temperature up by
their own body heat, and this can only be done when the fresh cold
air from the outside is excluded from the room. It is a pity that the
Act does not define what "a reasonable temperature" is; it would be
of great value to those of us who have to administer the Act if a low
limit and a high limit of temperature were defined by the Home
Secretary.
During the year there were no cases of notifiable infectious disease
occurring on premises in which there were workshops, but on several
occasions out-workers in connection with several workshops had to be
stopped from carrying on their work at home. A complete list of all
outworkers has been kept in the office; these lists have generally been
obtained on calling at the workshops, for employers often fail to
realise their duty to send in their list of out-workers twice a year, viz.,
in February and August, as the Act directs.
The kitchens of the restaurants and public dining rooms in the
borough have been thoroughly inspected throughout the year, with
good results. During the year I advised and directed the work necessary