where the number of sand grindstones in use has been reduced from 60 to 27 in the last seven years. He further reports that the standard of compliance with the Regulations is satisfactory.

As regards the second Grinding Code which is applicable to miscellaneous grinding industries, while progress in securing full compliance with the Regulations was seriously hindered by the Coal Strike and general trade depression, much has been done to bring the factories into compliance with the new requirements. In Falkirk, for example, where much grinding is carried on in connection with the light castings industry, great progress is reported by Mr. Brown (Superintending Inspector). Sandstones are being replaced by abrasive wheels whenever they are worn. down, and it is anticipated that soon all grindstones will have disappeared. "The difficulties met with," said Mr. Brown, "in the early days of abrasive wheels, that is, in the method of grinding, are not so pronounced. Even old grinders, with all their prejudice in favour of the sandstones, are being convinced that the change is for the better. Much work has been done in pulling down old grinding mills and dressing shops, and completing and equipping new shops with efficient exhaust ventilation plant." He adds that in other parts of the Division the same general tendency to dispense with sandstones has been noticed, and many installations of exhaust plants have been erected. In several instances, too, the occupiers have arranged for the periodical testing of the exhaust plants required by the Regulations to be carried out by the makers of the plant, thus ensuring proper maintenance.

Again, in Lincolnshire, Mr. Paterson (Lincoln) reports considerable improvement in exhaust ventilation, and he describes how abrasive wheels at present scattered about in different parts of the foundries are being grouped together and fitted with suitable exhaust. Indeed, these remarks about substituting abrasive wheels for grindstones and the grouping of the abrasive wheels are common to reports from Inspectors from all parts of the country.

Another instance where the Regulations have had beneficial results is quoted from Nottingham. Grindstones for sharpening knives were in use in one very large tobacco factory there and the firm, after considering the Regulations, built an entirely new grinding room with glaze brick walls and tiled floors and have installed segmental grinders.

It must be borne in mind that this extensive Code has only been in operation for a year, and Inspectors have naturally applied themselves first to the more important plants. The Code applies, however, to a very large number of small plants and with these a good many difficulties have still to be overcome. This is perhaps especially true in the Birmingham area, where a great many of the factories under the Code are small and controlled by occupiers who are unaccustomed to mastering the contents of lengthy Regulations; Mr. Ireland, for example, quotes instances

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in the Wolverhampton District of occupiers who did not know the meaning of the word "peripheral," far less how to ascertain a peripheral speed. It is evident therefore that a good deal of work lies before the Department before full compliance with the Regulations will be reached, but the Inspectors are paying continual attention to this work.

Two general certificates of exemption from the Regulations have been granted under the powers conferred on the Chief Inspector, the first from Regulations 1 and 17 in respect of portable grinding machines, portable glazing machines and portable buffing machines, on the ground that compliance with the requirements of these Regulations is at present impracticable, and the second relaxing Regulation 9 in respect of certain classes of precision machines, it having been shown to the satisfaction of the Department that such relaxation could be made without danger to the safety of the persons employed.

Horsehair Regulations.-This Code applies to hair imported from China, Siberia, or Russia, and its main object is to prohibit manipulation, other than opening or sorting, of the hair until it has undergone disinfection either by a steam process or by such other processes as are certified by the Director of a Bacteriological Laboratory to secure the destruction of anthrax spores in all parts of the hair subjected to the process. It is provided further that such a certificate shall have no force unless and until a copy has been submitted to the Secretary of State and a copy is kept attached to the register at the works. These certificates do not require the approval of the Secretary of State, but he is empowered to disallow them at any time, either generally or in regard to any particular factory in which anthrax has occurred. Fourteen such certificates have been submitted, but three of these were not continued and two have been disallowed.

In some parts of the country there seems to be a tendency to avoid the use of dangerous hair. In Lanarkshire, Mr. Kirkwood reports the case of three firms who have given it up and now use hair obtained principally from South America, the United States, and home markets, and a similar report is made by Mr. Abbott as regards the Ipswich District. In other works large firms commonly have their own disinfecting plant, or they may have the material disinfected at the Government Wool Disinfecting Station, or other centre, such as the Corporation Disinfecting Station.

Lifting of Heavy Weights (Woollen and Worsted Textiles).— Under the Regulations made in 1925 only lifting by hand by an individual worker was regulated, and the Code was confined to the lifting of any yarn, cloth, tool, or appliance. Later the question was raised as to whether the Code should not apply also to joint lifting by two or more persons. Enquiry made it apparent that both employers and workers had construed the requirement as extending to joint lifting, and it was evident that the Industrial

Council had no other intention in their minds when they put forward their request for Regulations. Again, it was found that while they intended that all the lifting performed in the industry should be subject to the rules, operations like that incidental to movement of chemicals and dye wares, wool and other raw materials had been left unregulated. As both employers and operatives were unanimous in this matter, the Joint Industrial Council asked for the Regulations to be amended, and a new Code extending the whole Regulations in the manner desired was established towards the end of the year.

Potteries.-The number of potteries with lead glaze certificates is now 193; the number with low solubility glaze certificates is 171. Eighty-four samples of glaze were taken from these factories, and of these only one was found to exceed the lead limit in force under the exemption. Even in this case the excess was very small indeed. In addition to these, 28 other samples of glaze were taken from works in which raw lead glaze is used, 19 of them being in connection with cases of lead poisoning, and nine in connection with Government contracts.

The coal stoppage involved irregular deliveries of raw materials, and this resulted in turn in a good many cases arising where restrictions in regard to clay carrying were disregarded; but it is reported that the position has now again become normal. At least one installation has been noted by the District Inspector of a belt elevator for conveying clay.

As regards mess-rooms, really good arrangements are established in some of the larger works where meals are provided at a cheap rate and the whole place is run as a canteen and linked up with other welfare provisions. In such places the accommodation is greatly appreciated by the workers. Unfortunately in smaller factories the accommodation provided is much less attractive and consequently less well appreciated.

Miss Crundwell.-The mess-rooms, although provided wherever necessary, are on the whole little used, particularly by the women; most of them preferring either to go home for the mid-day meal, or to take their meal in one of the shops where this is allowed. The reason, I think, is not far to seek. The bare necessities of the mess-room are provided and the necessary arrangements are made for cleaning, but the rooms are usually small and very dreary, no attempt in most cases being made to make them either comfortable or attractive. Most occupiers agree quite readily that much more could be done in this way, more especially in providing chairs, or at least benches with backs, but their usual comment is that the men are so destructive, and that the women make no attempt to co-operate in keeping the mess-room even decent; there is a good deal of truth in both statements, dirty paper and remains of food being constantly left all over the floors and tables after a meal. If occupiers, however, would make the first move towards making the mess-rooms less cheerless, there would, I think, be an encouraging response on the part of the workers.

On the very important question of exhaust ventilation the following passages are taken from the detailed report furnished by the District Inspector.

Mr. Garrett.-Though constant supervision is still necessary to keep all exhaust draught plants up to the necessary standard, the main trouble is now concerned with warecleaning, towing, and the china biscuit processes. The number of places where exhaust draught for warecleaning is required is small, but the danger is so great that a high standard must be maintained. In the china trade there is still the old difficulty in obtaining adequate use of the provision made for the emptying of flat ware which has been bedded in flint. Both in these china processes and in towing, where the volume of dust dealt with is large, the lack of cleaning is often the cause of failure.

Considerable progress has been made in the provision of exhaust draught for the brushing of earthenware biscuit, and with the completion of one plant now in hand all the larger works will have installations, the great majority combining the exhaust draught with mechanical brushing on a jigger head.

The other outstanding question is the control of flint dust in the flint mills. The real solution of the problem must come through the mechanical handling of the flint in all processes and a good start has been made by two firms, while another manager is now developing machinery that he hopes will solve these dust questions completely.

A prosecution was taken towards the end of the year for failure to maintain efficient exhaust draught to lithographic transfer machines. Following two lead cases (one fatal) it was found that the exhaust draught system had suffered rapid deterioration from the high standard reached when the factory was built.

An important piece of work has been accomplished by the National Council of the Industry, who have carried out some research work as to the best form of impervious flooring to adopt in order to secure the prevention of dust, and they have issued a leaflet to their members on the subject. Experiments with vacuum suction cleaners and scrubbing machines are still proceeding, and Mr. Weiner (Superintending Inspector, Midland Division) was invited to witness two demonstrations of mechanical scrubbers arranged by the Research Committee of the Council. It is hoped that a combination of mechanical scrubbers and impervious flooring will greatly facilitate the rapid and effective cleansing of floors and at the same time go a long way to suppress dust.

Mr. Garrett also deals frankly in his report with the important Regulation which requires self-inspection. There can be no doubt that if maximum results are to be obtained from the Regulations constant supervision must be exercised by persons within the works to ensure that a high standard of compliance is maintained :

Mr. Garrett. Since my return to this district I am more convinced than ever that the secret of the observance of these Regulations lies in the appointment of a Works Inspector, who is given time for the work, is invested with sufficient authority to have certain things put right on his own initiative, and has access to the head of the firm in all cases where his suggestions are not followed. There are now a number of factories where this is well done and the great improvement in the standard of observance of the Regulations is entirely confined to these firms. In the case of about six large firms the improvement since 1922 is most marked and, in each case, a young man who is not a manager and has little technical knowledge of pottery has been put in charge of this work and is backed by the responsible management. The perfunctory carrying out of the duties imposed by this Regulation by managers, who are otherwise fully employed, is never a success; in consequence the highest standards are found in works that are big enough to employ an inspector whose duties are entirely given up to this and welfare work. The difficulty in the smaller works is to find a suitable person to carry out these duties apart from managers; I think a scheme for the joint inspection of neighbouring works by one man would be one way out of the difficulty.

With the object of stimulating interest amongst the persons appointed to carry out this self-inspection work and to enable some uniformity of practice to be attained, Mr. Garrett is summoning a conference of persons appointed at the various works, so that an opportunity may be afforded to them to discuss their duties quite informally with him and with one another.

Vehicle Painting Regulations.-This new Code has evidently given very little trouble in administration. The increasing use of leadless varnish paints and the growth of the cellulose spraying process have combined to make it easy to dispense with lead in a great majority of cases. An increasing number of firms are adopting this very satisfactory mode of avoiding compliance with the Code in detail.

Many of the larger works, locomotive and railway carriage works, now use leadless paints, and railway waggon builders often use lead paint only for the mere lettering on the waggons. The irregularities found have been surprisingly few, except in the Southern Division, where there are an exceptionally large number of works employing from 3 to 50 persons in painting motor cars, dust carts, mail vans and trade vehicles.

The difficulties in these London works are due largely to the fact that the premises are old, shut in by other buildings and unsuitable for the requirements of a modern factory. Even under these circumstances, however, the Inspectors report wonderful progress considering the industrial difficulties of last year.

Woodworking. This Code has a very wide application and affects no fewer than 29,348 factories or departments. Practically all Inspectors report gradual but definite improvement not only in the standard of general compliance with the Regulations but in lighting, cleanliness of floors and means of heating. With a Code such as this, which applies very largely to widely scattered small places, there has been difficulty in securing satisfactory adjustment of guards, the offenders usually being the workers themselves, but even this difficulty is disappearing as younger operatives, who have been trained to work with modern guards, take the place of the older and more conservative workers.

The proportion of accidents due to improper adjustment of existing guards is high. For instance, Mr. Hodgson (Middlesbrough) mentions that out of 19 circular saw accidents four were due to failure to adjust guards, and of 12 accidents at overhead planers 7 were due to the same cause.

Mr. Brown (Scotland Division) remarks on the replacement of antiquated plant in country saw mills by up-to-date machinery following the temporary prosperity enjoyed during the coal shortage, by such firms supplying wood as fuel. He also comments on the satisfactory solution arrived at in the fencing of the tops of rack saws used for cutting up home timber, which saws are widely distributed in Scotland and are common in the wooded areas of the Highlands.

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