View report page

32
soap making as carried on in London. Tbe Public Health Act, 1891, altered the law relating to the
establishment anew of the business of a soap-boiler. Section 19, sub-section 1 (a), prohibits as heretofore
the establishment anew of the business of a soap-boiler within the County of London.
Sub-section 2 of the same section, however, is new legislation, and provides that the enactment
contained in the preceding sub-section shall not render any person liable to a fine for establishing anew
with the sanction of the County Council or carrying on the business of a soapboiler, if and as long as
that business is a business in which tallow or any animal fat or oil other than olein is not used by
admixture with alkali for the production of soap.
Factories and Workshops.
The passing of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1891, and of the Public Health (London) Act of
1891, rendered the sanitary authorities primarily responsible for enforcing the law enacted to maintain
workshops in a sanitary condition.
A perusal of the annual reports of medical officers of health for 1892 seems to indicate that only
in exceptional instances was any systematic attempt made to carry out the new duties imposed upon
sanitary authorities during that year.
For the most part references to the subject of workshop inspection occur in the reports in
connection with the Outworkers' Order issued by the Secretary of State under section 65 of the Factory
and Workshop Act of 1891, and section 27 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1891.
This order, which was gazetted November 4th, 1892, requires the occupier of every factory and
workshop, and every contractor employed by any such occupier in any of the following businesses, viz.—
(1.) The manufacture of articles of wearing apparel,
(2.) The manufacture of electro-plate,
(3.) Cabinet and furniture making and upholstery work,
(4.) The manufacture of files,
to keep lists showing the names of all persons employed.
The Local Government Board, in a letter addressed to sanitary authorities dated 19th
November, 1892, stated that the authorities should at once take measures to see that the order was made
known to those whom it affected, and that the medical officers of health and sanitary inspectors should
be instructed from time to time to examine the lists in order to become aware of the places in which outworkers
in the trades in question are employed.
In 15 of the annual reports allusion is made to this order; in some instances it is stated that steps
have been taken to ensure publicity being given to it, in other instances the opinion is expressed that it
is impracticable for the sanitary authority to give effect to the order, and that the lists of outworkers
should be collected and distributed by some central authority.
Mr. Lakeman, the chief inspector of metropolitan workshops for the Home Office, with a view to
meeting the difficulty with regard to workers employed in a district not appearing in the outworkers' list
prepared in that district, arranged to communicate to each medical officer of health the addresses of those
working in his district and appearing in lists prepared in other districts.
The following allusions to actual work done during 1892 in the several districts are made in the
annual reports.
Westminster, St. Margaret and St. John.—In referring to section 38 of the Public Health
(London) Act, the medical officer of health writes, "It was found necessary to.call upon the owners in
some cases to provide proper watercloset accommodation for the persons in their employ."
St. George-the-Martyr, Southwark.—The medical officer of health writes, "During the last
seven months of 1892,1 have caused 78 workshops, including laundries and bakehouses, to be registered,
and in several instances cleanliness and efficient ventilation to be enforced, overcrowding and other
nuisances to be abated, and sufficient and separate watercloset accommodation to be provided for the
two sexes."
St. James, Westminster.—From the table of work done by sanitary inspectors during the year it
appears that in 10 instances nuisances were removed or abated in workshops.
Islington.—57 inspections of factories and workshops were made during the year.
St. George-in-the-East.—15 workshops were caused to be cleansed and repaired.
Limehouse.—112 " factory inspections " were made, and four " factory nuisances abated."
Mile-end Old-town.—177 workshops were inspected.
Poplar.—A summary is given of notices and improvements carried out at the different
manufactories and workshops throughout the district during the year ending 25th March, 1893.
Bermondscy.—A list of sanitary works carried out under the Factory and Workshops Act is
given. It is not stated how much of this work was carried out in the year 1892.
Batter sea.—The medical officer of health writes, "Many inspections were made under the
Factory and Workshops Act, which will give the department much work in future. In four cases
improved forms of sanitary offices being provided which were previously defective or insufficient."
Wandsworth.—" Many inspections of workshops have been made, and workshops have been
caused to be cleansed and additional sanitary conveniences have been caused to be provided." Details
are given in the reports of the medical officers of health of the several parishes in the district.
Greenicich.—In the sub-district of Greenwich 108 factories and workshops were inspected in the
year ending 25th March, 1893. In the sub-district of Deptford the inspectors have inspected "many of
the workshops and factories in the district."
Clerkenwell— Reference is made to the instructions given to sanitary inspectors as to what the
vestry regard as sufficieht and suitable accommodation in the way of sanitary conveniences, and as to
the minimum air space for each employe in workshops.
In the report of the medical officer of health of St. George, Hanover-square, it is recorded that
"an additional inspector has been appointed, one of whose duties is to inspect the lists of (such) outworkers,
and to ascertain the condition of their dwellings, and especially the presence of cases of
infectious disease therein."