View report page

16
It will be seen from the foregoing that in ten countries the trade in
question is dealt with under legislative powers, and that in several others the
question of placing them under control is under consideration.
Although at the present time comparatively few governments have given
local authorities statutory powers of control, it is evident that, in the interest
of the public health, the time has arrived when such supervision should be
universal.
It is most desirable, therefore, that authorities in this country should also
take a step in this direction, and failing statutory authority to enforce
regulations, it would be advisable that in the City, at least, instructions should
be issued to all barbers and hairdressers practising in it as to the best mode of
conducting their businesses upon proper hygienic conditions.
There are upwards of 180 hairdressers' saloons, toilet clubs, &c., in the
City a large proportion of them being owned by foreigners.
It must be apparent to all, that from the health point of view, there is much
room for improvement in the manner in which the business is conducted in
many of these establishments.
The present state of things is discreditable to us as a civilised nation as a
whole, and one can readily believe that the citizens only require the facts to
be brought to their notice to be assured that they would then only patronise
registered establishments where they would be free from any risk of
infection.
The proprietors of some of the elaborate and well-furnished toilet saloons
in common with the owners of 1d. shaving shops, fail to take the simplest
precautions that are essential for safeguarding customers from risk of
infection. That they do so rather from lack of knowledge than a careless
disregard of their obligations to the public is clearly the more charitable view
to take, and, when once attention has been directed to the best means of
improving the existing unsatisfactory and dangerous procedure, we may
confidently look forward to the general employment of newer and safer
methods.
With this object in view, draft regulations were drawn up and presented
to your Worshipful Committee. It was also suggested that they should be
printed and mounted for exhibition in the premises of those barbers and
hairdressers willing to give a written undertaking to carry them into effect,
and on receipt of such assurance, the signatory's name and the address of his
establishment would be duly recorded at this office in a "Register of Sanitary
Hairdressers and Barbers."