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that he should communicate to me the particulars of cases brought by him to the knowledge of the
sanitary authorities in order that the Council should subsequently have these premises inspected to
ascertain whether the defects were remedied. For this purpose the Council sanctioned a temporary
addition to the staff of inspectors in the Public Health department. On June 5th the Public Health
Committee reported to the Council that, in the month of March, 34 such workshops had been
brought to the notice of the Council; in 13 of these workshops, situated in Battersea, Mile-end,
Paddington, Poplar, St. George-in-the-East, Shoreditch, and Whitechapel, there was no evidence that
any steps had been taken to comply with the notice, and the Committee had therefore communicated
with the sanitary authority concerned with regard to these cases. On June 19th the Committee
reported to the Council that 39 workshops had during the month of April been brought to the
notice of the sanitary authorities by the Chief Inspector of the Home Department. In 19 of these
workshops, situated in Bethnal-green, Camberwell, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Mile-end, Newington,
St. George-in-the-East, St. George-the-Martyr, Southwark, and Whitechapel, there was no evidence
that any steps had been taken to comply with the notice, and the Committee had therefore placed itself
in communication with the sanitary authorities. Oil October 9th the Committee reported that they
had had the workshops, first visited in April, May and June, re-inspected; it was found that with the
exception of two workshops in Bethnal-green and one in Islington, either the defects complained of
had been remedied or steps had been taken with that object. The committee had therefore addressed
further letters to the authorities mentioned urging them to take immediate action. Inquiry had
also been made concerning 10 workshops of which notice had been given to the sanitary authorities
in June by the Chief Inspector of Workshops of the Home Department. With the exception of
one workshop in Islington the defects had been remedied or steps had been taken for the purpose. The
Islington vestry had been communicated with.
References to workshop inspection are found in the reports of the medical officers of health of
the following districts—
Paddington.—The complaints received from the chief inspector of workshops have related almost
exclusively to overcrowding, mostly during the "season." The medical officer of health is of opinion
that some other standard than cubic space should be adopted as a gauge of overcrowding. He thinks
there would be no difficulty in estimating the chemical impurity of the air at the time of inspection,
and using the result of such examination as the basis for future action.
Kensington.—The report of the medical officer of health contains inter alia a report by two
women inspectors employed in the inspection of workshops, showing that a register of workshops is
kept in this district, and that premises occupied as follows had been entered on the register, viz., 307
dressmakers and ladies' tailors, 225 laundries, 35 miscellaneous, making a total of 5G7 workshops.
All these establishments had been systematically visited during the year. The report contains
observations made under the following headings—"warming of work rooms,", "gas iron heaters,"
"ventilation," "rooms lighted by skylights," "cleansing of work-room floors," " overcrowding,"
"separate sanitary conveniences," "laundries," and "overhead drying." Dr. Dudfield. .reports upon
the work thus done as eminently satisfactory, and states that one of the women. inspectors had been
vested with the status of a sanitary inspector.
Fulham.—Frequent inspections were made, and notices were served where-necessary.
St. George, Hanover-square.—-A complete inspection was made of all premises in certain streets,
and a number of inspections in other parts of the district as the result of special complaints. The
number of workshops arid work places inspected was 108, containing 137 workrooms, 37 of which
were overcrowded, and 9 in a dirty and unwholesome condition; the sanitary' arrangements of 94
were found defective, the drains of 47 having to be reconstructed.
Westminster.—A large number of workshops has been inspected, but it has been found impossible
to carry out a systematic inspection, owing to the pressure of other and more important work. The
names and addresses of a large number of outworkers resident in the parish have been obtained, but
no case of any infectious disease has been known to arise at any of their homes during the year.
Marylebone.—The duty of supervising workshops and of carrying out the statutory provisions
with regard to smoke was allotted to a special inspector. The report states that there were 3,550 workshops
and workplaces in the district, and 329 outworkers residing in the parish but employed in other
districts.
St. Pancras.—Whenever complaints have been received from ratepayers and others, or notices
have been received from inspectors of factories with regard to workshops, such workshops have been
inspected and the necessary measures taken.
Islington.—Endeavour was made to ascertain the names and addresses of outworkers employed
in Islington, and an inspector was taken from his other duties for this purpose. The medical officer of
health comments on the inconvenience thus caused, and states that his recommendation that an inspector
should be specially appointed was engaging the attention of the vestry's public health committee at the
close of the year. The inspector employed in connection with workshops first visited the establishments
which employed outworkers, but owing to their number he was able to do little more than ascertain from
the employers the addresses of the people employed by them. On calling on the person designated as
an outworker by the original employer it was often found that this person employed others who worked
at their own homes, and that the latter were constantly changing their employment.
Stoke Newington.—A complete list of outworkers in the parish was prepared, and their names
and addresses sent to the medical officers of health of the districts where they dwelt.
Hachiey.—The number of workshops inspected was 72, of these only 13 were found to be in a
satisfactory condition, 7 were overcrowded, 5 without sufficient sanitary conveniences, and 185 other
nuisances were found, all of which were abated. The staff having been increased, the medical officer
of health anticipates that a more complete inspection will be able to be made.
St. Giles.—Workshops, 111 in number, were inspected and the necessary orders made.