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1907]
220
Outworkers'' premises.—The total number of names and addresses received during the year
is as follows :—
From employers in Islington 2,268
From the Medical Officers of other Boroughs 2,788
5,056
These figures represent the total numbers of the two half-yearly returns, viz., those
made in February and August, in compliance with Sec. 107, factory and Workshop Act (1901);
2,597 names and addresses are now on the register, and of these, 1,989 are resident in
Islington, an increase of 632 resident Outworkers during the period under report.
Of the 1,989 resident Outworkers, as above, it should be noted that 1,749 are Homeworkers,
that is, persons who work in their own homes solely for their own profit, and do
not employ anyone, whereas the remaining 240 are Outworkers, persons who not only take
work themselves, but employ others for purposes of gain, and are duly included in the
Workshop register.
The need of a distinctive title which would obviate the present frequent misunderstanding
as to what constitutes a " Homeworker's" in contradistinction to an "Outworker's"
premises has given rise to some very misleading statements and statistics.
In Islington the conditions under which Homework is done are, taken generally, satisfactory.
The Homeworkers are principally single women and widows, who form one of the most
hardworking and thrifty classes of the community.
To many of these, Factory life would be an impossibility; age and delicate health making
the daily journey to and fro, in all weathers, a speedy cause of complete breakdown. Also
the difficulty of obtaining a nourishing meal during the day which is one of the most
disastrous phases of Factory life for women, should be a strong deterrent against the abolition
of Homework, applying not only to the women already mentioned, but to the mothers of
growing families, who are compelled to add what they can to the weekly wage.
The following table shows the number of persons or families occupying one, two, or
three rooms (engaged in Homework) in the Borough :—
Occupying one room, for living and working ... 242
,, two rooms ,, ,, 312
„ three ,, ,, ,, 316
No accurate statistics can be obtained for the remaining Homeworkers, as they share a
house or rooms with relatives.
The nature of the work done, and the number of persons engaged in each trade is shown
below :—
Making, repairing, etc., of wearing apparel 1,453
Lace curtains and net 1
Artificial flowers 100
Nets, other than wire 2
Furniture and upholstery 9
1'aper bags and boxes 145
Brush making 32
Stuffed toys 1
Electro plate 4
Umbrellas 2
Total 1,749