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79
on the whole decidedly better than the average working-class
home as regards sanitation and comfort. She did not make any
particular enquiry into the matter, but no instances of sweating
or any breach of the Truck Acts came to her notice. The question
arises whether it would be proper for her to systematically make
enquiries on this subject. Certainly this would be going outside
her strict statutory duties, but unless systematic enquiries are
made it does not seem likely that any assistance could be given
in detecting sweating or breaches of the Truck Acts. My own
experience in this district is that homework is generally taken in
by the more thrifty members of families who seek in this way to
increase the family income, and on account of their thriftiness
keep their homes in a more wholesome condition than the average
of their class. House-to-house inspection probably has been
carried out more thoroughly in this Borough than in most other
districts, and this may possibly account for the few nuisances
which are met with; but, in view of the figures given above, it
certainly seems a question whether the time of the Inspector is
well occupied in visiting the homes of outworkers, for all the
nuisances discovered would be discovered in the ordinary course
of house-to-house inspection.
Altogether I am of opinion that sanitation of homeworkers is
best and most economically obtained by frequent house-to-house
inspection, and that the prevention of sweating and breaches of
the Truck Acts must be prevented by some means other than
those at present provided by the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901.
Bakehouses.
39. The number of bakehouses on the register is now 56.
They were all inspected twice. In my personal inspections, I
found all but seven satisfactory; in these the defects were chiefly,
dirty floors, walls, and mixing-boards. These were remedied on
service of notice. Three above floor, and one underground were
closed, and one underground, previously certified, was re-opened.