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29
FACTORIES, WORKSHOPS WORKPLACES, LAUNDRIES,
BAKEHOUSES.
Another Factory and Workshop Act was added last year
to those already in force. All the Factory Acts previous to
1878 were consolidated by the Act of that year, which is now
called the Principal Act. Since 1878 have been passed the
Factory and Workshop Acts of 1883, 1891, and 1895; the
Cotton Cloth Factories' Act of 1889; the Shop Hours' Acts
of 1892 and 1895; and the Truck Amendment Act of 1887.
These Factory and Workshop Acts are very complex, and
it is desirable that they should be consolidated and simplified.
The effect of all legislation since 1878 has been to hand over
more and more the administration of the sanitary provisions of
these Acts to the Sanitary Authorities.
All that now remains under the administration of the
Factory Department of the Home Office is the partial supervision
of the sanitary provisions in those factories that are
factories within the meaning of the Act, for notice of all the
sanitary defects and nuisances in factories and workshops that
can be remedied by the Public Health Acts is sent by the
Factory Inspectors to the Sanitary Authority, and it is the
duty of the Sanitary Authority, by the last Act of 1895,
"within one month," to inform the inspector of the proceedings
taken in consequence of the notice.
Future legislation probably will simplify the Acts, and
make the Sanitary Authority responsible for the sanitary
condition of all workplaces of all kinds.