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17
The Homework Regulation Bill, should it become law
in its present state, will profoundly affect the general
sanitary administration of the Factory Acts in this Borough.
No one of the numerous drapers, dressmakers, tailors,
etc., in the district will be allowed to give any work to be
finished or made outside their establishments save to a
Certificated Outworker.
Those who wish to do work at home must have a
certificate to the effect that the room they work in, is
suitable from a sanitary standpoint for such work, and
particularly that it is adequately ventilated, and such
certificate would have to be renewed every six months.
Before taking any work they will have to apply for this
certificate, whereupon a Home Office Inspector, in course of
time, will inspect the room and grant, or not grant the
certificate, as the case may be.
The whole of the Act is to be carried out by Home
Office Inspectors, and when one considers the immense
number of persons in the dressmaking and tailoring trades
that work at home, it is obvious that the Government will
have to appoint quite an army of Inspectors to cope with
the work. I consider that it is highly objectionable to
ignore in this way the Sanitary Officers of the Local
Authority. If the Bill is necessary, the provisions could be
more economically carried out by the Officers of each Local
Authority.
There is a perfect mania among some legislators for
inspection and multiplying inspectors; at the present time
besides a number of voluntary or outside inspectors connected
with various societies, there are three different sets of
statutory inspectors, viz., the Local Officers, the County
Council Officers, and the Ilome Office Inspectors roaming
about the district; the practical application of the Bill
woidd enormously increase the latter class.
I trust, that in the interests of both employer and
employed, the Committee will send a representation to the
Parliamentary Committee suggesting that the Bill be
opposed.