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serious extent is quite compatible with the full allowance of 250 cubic feet of space per head." The
appearance of the workers in these West-end workshops was, however, indicative of a higher standard
of comfort and of better hygienic surroundings than that of persons employed in workshops in the
East-end. There was a more general recognition on the part of the employers of the existence of the
statutory provisions relating to woi'kshops, and in many of the rooms an abstract of the Factory and
Workshop Act was exhibited as required by section 78 of the Act of 1878. All the rooms had been
recently inspected by the Home Office inspector.
In April, 1893, Dr. Hamer re-inspected the workshops in Whitechapel, Mile-end Old-town, and St.
George-in-the-East, which at the time of his previous inspection in 1892 he had found especially faulty.
Speaking generally, steps had in the interval been taken to remedy the conditions which he had
found to exist in particular premises, and although the inadequacy of water-closet accommodation
did not appear to have been dealt with by the sanitary authorities, overcrowding had been remedied in
the majority of cases. The result of Dr. Hamer's second inspection agrees with the statement
contained in the report of Mr. Taylor, the medical officer of health of Mile-end Old-town, who, on
inspecting, early in 1893, the premises referred to in Dr. Hamer's report of the previous year, found
that under ten per cent, were overcrowded.
Copies of Dr. Hamer's first report were on the 6th of January communicated by the Council to
the sanitary authorities, who were requested to inform the Council of the steps which were being taken
to carry out the provisions of the Public Health Act relating to workshops. The replies received
showed that only in some districts had any special provision been made for this purpose. In
Hampstead, St. George Hanover-square, Newington, and Battersea, additional inspectors had been or
would be appointed; in Islington an increase of the staff was under consideration; in Hammersmith,
St. James Westminster, Hackney, St. Luke, and Camberwell, the inspection of workshops, it was
stated, was made in the course of house-to-house inspection. Other replies were chiefly to the effect
that the workshops in the district were being inspected or that the inspectors had been instructed to
carry out the provisions of the law. In some districts notices of the out-worker order had been given
to the occupiers of workshops. Fuller information as to the steps taken by the sanitary authorities is
found in the reports of the medical officers of health, of which an abstract is appended. It will
be observed that the duty of dealing with out-workers has been found to be considerable, although this
has been rendered easier by the inspector of workshops at the Home Office having arranged to give
notice to medical officers of health of the residences of out-workers in their districts. That this
difficulty is not insurmountable is evidenced by the excellent work done in Mile-end Old-town. It
would obviously increase the facilities for carrying out the law if sanitary authorities communicated to
a central authority the addresses of all out-workers not working in their districts, and if the central
authority gave the necessary information as to the residence of the out-workers to the sanitary
authorities concerned. A useful check, moreover, upon overcrowding of workshops could be exercised
if the occupiers were required to exhibit in each workroom a notice indicating the cubic contents of the
room.
The following references to the administration of the law relating to workshops are found in the
reports of the medical officers of health—
Kensington—Two women inspectors were appointed for the inspection of workshops in which
women were employed; they were supplied with books for the purpose of registration of such premises,
these books indicating the details to be recorded, and with other books showing the results of inspection.
Dr. Dudfield reported as the result of six months' experience that 1,107 houses had been visited (mostly
dressmakers and laundries), 590 workshops inspected, 1,061 workrooms therein inspected. Of these,
56 workshops were found to be overcrowded, 14 insufficiently ventilated, 117 in a dirty condition. In
84 the sanitary arrangements were defective, and 143 notices were served. A recommendation that
the women inspectors should be vested with the status of sanitary inspectors was not adopted by the
Vestry.
Fulham—Increased duties have been placed on the sanitary staff by the above Act (Factory and
Workshop Act, 1891), and the circular issued by the Home Secretary relating to out-workers, but with
the existing number of inspectors it is not possible to attend to them thoroughly, so that the Act in
Fulham is almost a " dead letter."
Chelsea—A special report was presented by the medical officer of health on the order under
section 27 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1891.
St. George, Hanover-square—An additional inspector was appointed, one of whose duties is to
inspect the lists of out-workers, and to ascertain the condition of their dwellings, and especially the
presence of cases of infectious disease therein. A register of workshops and workplaces was prepared
relating to 455 premises in all, mostly tailors, and dressmakers and milliners. " The number of workshops
and workplaces inspected was 86 ; of these the sanitary arrangements of 75 were found defective,
the drains of 26 having to be re-constructed. These 86 premises contained 188 workrooms, 42 of which
were overcrowded, and 10 in a dirty and unwholesome condition. There were 540 persons found
employed in these workrooms, or 182 in excess of the accommodation, taking 250 cubic feet as the
minimum amount of cubic space allowed for each person in such places. In all cases where it seemed
to be necessary, measures have been taken to diminish the number of persons in workshops so as to
prevent overcrowding."
St. Pancras—" When a complaint has been made in reference to any factory, workshop or workplace,
it has been punctually attended to, and any nuisance, defect or infringement promptly remedied;
an attempt to systematically inspect all workplaces in St. Pancras, from premises to premises, upon the
principle of house to house inspection, would require, if the inspections were made twice a year, a very
large increase in the staff of your inspectors. House to house inspection is of more importance than
inspection from workplace to workplace."
St. Giles—"A number of factories, &c., which are not subject to the provisions of the Factory