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Factories, "Workshops, and Workplaces.
38. There were, at the close of the year, 215 workshops and
workplaces on the register; 295 inspections were made, and 30
notices served and complied with; 22 factories were inspected
regarding the sanitary accommodation and two notices served and
complied with; 630 inspections of home workers' premises were
made and 15 notices sent and attended to.
In consequence of the appointment of a second female inspector,
Miss Middlebrooke was able to devote a large amount of time to
the inspection of workshops, and factories, and 60 additional
workshops were put on the register and 17 more notices served
than in 1905. Workshops where no females are employed are
inspected by Mr. Powell.
Homeworkers.
The following special report was presented to your Council on
October 31st:—
A return, ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on
the 25th June, 1906, on the administration of the Factory and
Workshops Act provisions with respect to Homework, has been forwarded
with a circular letter, signed by Mr. Henry Cunynghame,
and dated Home Office, 4th October, 1906. Mr. Cunynghame
desires to bring specially before the Council the question of the
enforcement of the provisions of the Factory Act which deal with
the subject of Homework. Tables are obtained every year from
every Medical Officer of Health, and those for 1904 have been
tabulated and presented to Parliament in the return referred to.
The letter states "not only were the tables often omitted or very
imperfectly filled up, but the inference cannot be avoided that in
a considerable number of districts little use has been made by the
local authorities of their important powers under the Homework
provisions."
The letter goes on to remark that Outworkers form the weakest
section of the labouring classes, a class in respect of which the