View report page

14
these have been sanctioned. Some others remain which
are under the consideration of the Public Health Committee.
A few of them, having but one or two years' leases
to run, will probably lapse, extensive structural alterations
being required.
In all those certified the ventilation was found to be
good, the oven fires connected with long flues producing
sufficient " head" to cause the outside air to press through
every crevice. It must, however, be observed that on
account of the cold draughts in bakehouses, the workers
almost invariably stop up ventilating openings. The owner
of a bakehouse may spend whatever money he pleases as
to ventilation; he may carry up special flues, provide
electric fans, and what not—to only discover that all
appliances which can be easily got at have been bunged up
with sacking or other obstructions. The writer found one
particular bakehouse, which, of course, cannot under
present conditions, be recommended for a certificate, quite
exceptionally bad as regards ventilation. In this case the
bread and pastry is baked by gas. Rows upon rows of gas
burners heat various ovens, without any flue carrying off
the fumes. In the centre of the room is, however, a large
square ventilating shaft passing up through the roof. This
shaft was of course at the time of visit found stuffed up
by an old sack. Even after removal of the sack the carbonic
acid gas in the air was found to be 22 per 10,000 (ordinary
air being from 4 to 8 per 10,000). Besides this it contained
traces of the poisonous carbon monoxide gas.
Prosecution under the Public Health (London) Act.
The considerable number of notices with regard to
sanitary matters have been obeyed without trouble, save in
one instance. The occupier of 125, Great Portland Street,
was summoned before Mr. Plowden for placing an improper
receptacle on the kerb. The magistrate dismissed the
summons on the purely technical ground that no evidence
was before him that a notice had been hung on the street
lamps, in compliance with the Act. He, however, stated
that the Dust Inspector could take out a fresh summons if
he was prepared to produce such evidence.