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Opposition was offered in two or three instances to the Vestry
inspection of the bake houses, at the suggestion of Mr. Lakeman,
the Government Inspector under the "Factory Act," 1878, who
told the bakers to refuse the Vestry admission. Admission was,
however, granted, and they were all inspected. It should be
noted that the "Bake House Regulation Act," 1863, is repealed
by the "Factory Act."
In regard to bake houses, a newspaper copy of a sensational
and erroneus report, by the Factory Inspector, on the London
Bake-houses, has been recently circulated, describing them as
being in a terrible state, with open drains, animals kept therein,
untrapped closets and beds being also met with. The underground
position of the bake-houses, which necessitates a certain
deficiency of light and ventilation, being also noticed. The
Government Inspector's Report was so generally expressed, that
his remarks apparently applied to all the London bake houses.
I can however assure the public, that no such Sanitary
nuisances exist in the bake houses of Clerkenwell.
Moreover, under the 4th Section of the Factory Act, tho
Inspector is bound to give notice to the Yestry, of Sanitary
neglect or default in auy factory or workshop; and it becomes
the duty of the Sanitary authority to remedy tho same. But no
such notice has been given to the Sanitary authority. Therefore
we may fairly conclude that no Sanitary defaults have been
found in our bake houses by tho Government Inspector; and we
know from our own inspection in September last, that they did
not exist.
Mortuary.—The Mortuary Keeper's return shows that 232
bodies were received at the Mortuary during the year; 99 of
these were brought for inquest purposes, upon which 43 postmortems
were made; while 133 were received from houses of tho
parishioners, where the corpses would othorwise have remained
in living rooms.