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25
In the instance of the present epidemic of Scarlet
Fever, extremely few pauper cases were treated, as
shown by the books of the Parochial Medical Officers.
The Workshops Regulation Act.
I have taken some trouble in endeavouring to
discover any neglect in the carrying out of the provisions
of this Act. During the past year, inspections
have been made of 64 establishments in this Parish where
generally more than five young women were employed,
principally in millinery and dressmaking. The result
of inspections is noted on a form kept for the purpose,
which has been approved by the Inspector of Factories.
As a rule, the provisions of the Act are fairly attended
to, and the hours of labour are not expessive. I have
had anonymous and other communications, which have,
in every instance, been investigated, but I was not
able to prove the accusations made against the
proprietors of some of the shops indicated. In two
instances, the proprietors were ordered to increase
the cubic space of the work-room; and in two others
to remove the young women from the kitchen, which
had improperly been used as the work-room. Since
writing the above, I received information and obtained
a conviction, under the Act, for keeping girls illegally
at over work in the night, on Saturday afternoon and
Sunday morning. Mrs. Marian Pridham, of Tankerville
House, Queen's Road, Bayswater, was summoned before
Mr. Mansfield, upon satisfactory evidence she was found
guilty in two instances and fined £6 penalty for the
offences. In this case the health of one young lady
was affected by over-hours at night work. According
to my inspections, more than 500 dressmaking young
women are employed, but there are undoubtedly in
establishments near Westbourne Grove vast numbers
still not brought under notice, from not knowing the
private residences of many who employ young persons
in dressmaking.