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69
FACTORY AND WORKSHOP ACT, 1901.
FACTORIES, WORKSHOPS, AND WORKPLACES.
This Act came into operation on the 1st January, 1902, but in view of
the obligations of the Corporation thereunder, the work of inspection was
commenced in the preceding year.
The nucleus of the Register of Workshops was compiled from information
supplied by H.M. Factory Department from the existing Registers. This,
however, was found upon inspection, to be very imperfect, many of the
workshops having ceased to exist, and some factories inadvertently having
been included.
These discrepancies, with others, as, for instance, places originally occupied
as " workshops " developing into " factories," have been adjusted, and the
Register is now as reasonably complete as the fluctuating character of the
trades registered permit.
It has been found necessary, in order to ensure accuracy in the record, as
well as for the convenience of the Department, that a new Register should be
compiled each year, all lapsed workshops being eliminated.
The Act defines various classes of workshops, and the Workshop Register
is so arranged as to show the nature of the workshops inspected, whether of a
general character, or those specially defined in the Act as "Domestic,"
" Tenement," or " Men's " workshops, the date notified or discovered and
inspected, the number of workers employed (whether male or female), and the
initials of the officer inspecting.
The Register of Workshops for 1905 shows a total of 1,947 premises where
workshops exist or have existed during the preceding year. Workshops at
478 premises have ceased to exist, and 612 new premises have been added.
It has not been found possible to inspect all the premises registered, so that
the total number of workrooms existing cannot be given. Some of the trades
have ten or more workshops on the premises.
There is no statutory obligation to keep a Register of factories or workplaces,
but for the sake of convenience Registers have been adopted in both
cases on similar lines to that for workshops, but the registration of workplaces
has been confined to kitchens of restaurants, &c.—total number of
kitchens registered during the year was 44.
The Register of workplaces dates from 1902, that for factories was
commenced towards the end of 1904.
The total number of workrooms in factories, workshops, and workplaces
inspected during the year amounts to 3,443, but this does not represent the
total number registered, owing, as before mentioned, to some 330 premises not