Fumes and Steam present almost as many and as varied problems as dust, and while removal of fumes has been already satisfactorily accomplished in many cases, steam removal, especially in dye-houses, is still in its infancy, and much remains to be done. It is not uncommon, under certain climatic conditions, to find the steam in dye-houses so dense that it is quite impossible to see the workers, and inspection of the machinery is out of the question. It seems marvellous that under these conditions more accidents do not occur. Occupiers and workers would both welcome a solution of the problem, because steam affects the plant adversely and causes most unpleasant working conditions. Mr. T. C. Taylor (Leicester), when raising the question in hosiery dye-houses, was generally met with discouraging reports of abortive attempts to get rid of the steam, and occasionally by a fatalistic attitude that nothing could be done. The only satisfactory method of dealing with steam is, briefly, to keep the atmosphere in such a condition that steam will be absorbed by suspended heating units at suitable points, which will, by means of fans forming part of, and circulating air through, each unit, keep the temperature above fog point.

Miss Escreet (North-Western Division) reports on this subject as it affects the felt hat trade:

The problem of steam in the plank shops of felt hat works and in dyehouses is a serious one. In some of the former an installation has been put in which blows in warm air which lifts the steam to the outlets above; this is the only satisfactory method for all kinds of weather. Plank shops without the installation depend largely upon the weather as to whether or not the steam finds its way out through the always numerous ventilators. The plank shops visited were more or less free of steam, but the fact that this trade has been almost more hardly hit than any other in the Division may have had something to do with this comparatively satisfactory state, as during my visits I never saw a plank shop fully occupied or a dye-house with all the kettles going.

The removal of sulphur fumes from sulphur stoves in hosiery finishing works has needed special attention. The demand for white goods has been very great, and consequently these bleaching stoves have been in some cases in almost continuous use. The method adopted of burning raw sulphur inside the stove is exceedingly primitive, but where the stoves are isolated away from other buildings, and can be opened at each end and completely flushed before the workers enter to empty the stoves, there is little cause for complaint. Where, on the other hand, the stoves are situated in the middle of a factory situated in a congested residential area with workers' dwellings around, the problem is difficult of solution. It is necessary to require the occupiers to remove the fumes from the stoves as speedily and effectively as possible, but if this is done by mechanical or other means and the fumes emitted at the level of the neighbouring houses a nuisance is immediately created. Probably the best solution would be the entire removal of these stoves from congested areas, but until that can be accomplished, improved methods of ventilation will be necessary, and care must be taken, in co-operation with the Local Authority,.

to secure the dispersal of the fumes in a manner which will cause as little nuisance as possible.

Cotton Cloth and other Humidified Factories.

The Regulations as a whole appear to be well observed, and in the North Midland Division only one case of excessive humidity has been noted. The maintenance of hygrometers is also said to be satisfactory. The application of the humidity to textile factories other than cotton cloth has been extended in the Halifax District, three cotton spinning and two worsted spinning mills having adopted it during the year, atomised water being used in every case. The use of artificial humidity in a cotton waste spinning and weaving mill has had remarkable results as regards suppression of dust. The card rooms were formerly so dusty that it was almost impossible to see from one end of the room to the other, but after humidification the dust has nearly disappeared, and the general atmospheric conditions are now almost ideal. Miss Ahrons has noted a growing tendency to instal humidifying plants in worsted spinning factories. The welfare supervisor of one such factory told her it had greatly improved the atmosphere of the workrooms, cleansing and purifying the air perceptibly and regulating the temperature. The amount of humidification is slight, there being generally a difference of 6° or 7° between the wet and dry bulbs. Mr. Jones (Halifax) mentions that it has been applied also in a non-textile factory, a large toffee works, where the finished toffee is cooled in a humidified department; the amount of humidity is not large, but it controls surface evaporation.

Lighting.

The question of lighting in industry has certainly not received in the past the attention which it deserves, but there is evidence that the importance of good lighting and its effects upon both the health and safety of the workers is being realised, and that more consideration is being given to suitable methods of lighting adapted to the varying nature of the work.

The publication during the year of the Third Report of the Departmental Committee on Lighting in Factories and Workshops has stimulated interest in the subject, and the recommendations contained therein have formed the basis of discussion at some meetings of the Joint Industrial Councils, a notable example being the Hosiery Joint Industrial Council; several processes in this industry have been classified in the Report as "fine" or very fine work requiring specially good lighting. The employers' representatives considered that not only in the workers' interests, but in their own, the Report should receive careful consideration. The workers' representatives appreciated this, and enlarged upon the effects arising in many instances from lack of

attention to this important matter. They admitted that some manufacturers spent a considerable amount of money on their lighting installations, but urged that others had done very little, and added that it was not so much a case of spending a great deal of money as of making the best use of what was spent. This is really the key to the situation, vast sums are spent on installations, and much money is wasted on brilliant lighting, ill-adapted to the particular work, and many manufacturers could no doubt reduce their lighting bills by half, and at the same time have more satisfactory results, if they studied the question carefully and went into all the essential details.

Mr. T. C. Taylor (Leicester), for example, reports that lamps are installed without any thought being given to the result, except to dispel the darkness that would otherwise exist, and he describes a good example of this in a newly erected factory only partially occupied :

In one very large room, devoid of workers or machines, and where there is still uncertainty about their positions, the lighting consists of several rows of pendant electric lamps stretching from end to end of the room. The actual illuminating effect would be very great, but I am sure it would be impossible to find any point where the effect of the glare could be avoided, and yet it would be nearly impossible to place a machine where a real concentrated light could be thrown on the work. Better effects could, I am certain, be

achieved by using half the light with properly disposed lamps.

The post-war shortening of hours and the continuance of "summer time" have reduced to a minimum the time during which artificial light is necessary in modern factories where natural light is satisfactory, but there remain in use many buildings where artificial light is necessary, except on the brightest days, and there are also the continuous process industries where cases of defective lighting by night are often found.

Mr. Law refers to difficulties and to unsatisfactory conditions in Sheffield. In the typical old grinding-hull, everything militates against good natural lighting. The open front, filled with all sorts of draught-preventing devices, the dull-coloured walls, the dingy ceilings and the grinders sitting two or three in echelon produce bad conditions. Many of the buffing and cutters' shops are lighted artificially by gas-jets only, some of which are fitted with fish-tail burners, the contention being that "good" lighting would interfere with the workers' point of view on the polish and finish of the article treated. While there may be something in this contention, it is negatived largely by the fact that one of the largest firms of silversmiths has erected a new factory with a maximum of window space on each side of the rooms and with whitened tops, with no disadvantage either to the worker or the quality of his labour.

An interesting result of improved method of lighting is reported by Mr. Rees (Wrexham) in a silk factory, where girls are employed examining skeins to detect faulty threads. Electric lamps with shallow shades were provided for every two or three workers,

at points just above their heads; the glare from these inadequately shaded lamps was found to irritate the eyes, and to cause a drop in the quality of the work. The lights were removed to the ceiling and proper shades and reflectors provided, with the result that glare has been avoided, and there is a marked improvement in the work.

Several Inspectors comment on the trying effects of glare and the need for more attention to shading, especially since the use of the-watt lamps have become general. Mr. Smith (Leeds) reports that the comparative merits of direct as against semi-direct lighting were recently tested at an engineering works in two similar but separate departments of the works. Diffused light was more acceptable to the workers, although the ordinary observer preferred the direct light. Other instances of increased attention and care in selecting the best possible means of lighting for the work are given by Miss Coombes, who found in a hat and cap factory in London that the indirect electric lighting installed to replace gas-jets was unsuitable for certain classes of work, e.g., examining and matching colours, and for this work small lamps, with green cone shades, have been introduced. Miss Coombes also found in an incandescent gas mantle factory, where very good light is essential-very fine work being done, picking up stitches in the early stages of manufacture of silk mantles-powerful electric lights suspended over the benches, fitted with wide white enamel shades. In the final burning, where there is considerable heat and glare, an excellent anti-glare screen had been erected, consisting of thick anti-glare glass in front and a lining of mica.

The use of "artificial daylight" lamps, which were exhibited at the Efficiency Exhibition at Olympia in 1920 and have been described in previous reports, appears to be increasing; they are said to be of great value for colour work and work involving matching of colours.

Some Inspectors comment on the absence of evidence of accidents attributable to faulty or insufficient lighting, but it seems possible that the majority of these occur in that large group of accidents due to falls, especially of persons falling, which will be investigated during certain months of the current year, with special reference to lighting and much valuable evidence may be forthcoming. Mr. Chandler (Sheffield) mentions one serious accident, due to a fall which occurred in a large steel founding shop, where the globe of a big arc lamp was broken. An operative was climbing up a vertical ladder to his overhead crane when he grasped at a deceptive shadow cast by the broken lamp, thinking it was the rung of the ladder, and fell 25 ft. to the floor. This emphasises the need for attention to upkeep and maintenance of lamps, a matter that is very often overlooked, especially as regards the cleaning of globes and shades.

EMPLOYMENT.

Hours of Work.

It is only by glancing over past years that the revolution which has taken place in hours of employment can be appreciated.

Before the war the 60-hour week, the 10 or 10-hour day, extended in some industries by 30 or 60 nights of overtime during the year, were customary. Infringements of the Factory Acts were common, illegal overtime was prevalent; work was taken home by employees to be done after hours, and statutory mealtimes were curtailed.

Then came the war period, with night work for women, unknown previously, Sunday employment, elasticity in hours of work and mealtimes, and shift systems. Experiments were tried. regarding shorter spells and more frequent breaks for rest and refreshments; intensive enquiries into the effect of long hours were instituted and public opinion on the matter began to progress, and employers and workers became interested in the question of hours of labour. The effect of this war period is evident in the factories to-day.

The reports from the Inspectors show that without resorting to legislation the hours of work have been generally reduced to a total varying from 44-48 hours per week, and that overtime is rare, and a five-day week and a one-break day are common. Trade depression may account for this reduction to a certain extent, but not altogether. Few workers would now be willing to work longer hours, and some occupiers say that output in the reduced period is almost, if not quite, up to that of the longer period, while others hold that it would not be worth their while to pay the overtime rates fixed for their industries.

The infringements of the Factory Acts found during the course of the year may also be traced in many instances to the abnormal conditions of employment obtaining during the war-indeed, they may be regarded as the aftermath of that period. For example, cases of women being employed at night and on Sunday have been found and employers have pleaded that they knew that women worked at these times from 1914-18, and were not aware that it was now illegal. Such pleas, however, are not very convincing, and proceedings have followed in serious cases. Cases in which the five-hour spell has been exceeded have not been uncommon, and on investigation it has been found that 6 p.m. is the usual time for stopping work, and when it has been necessary on occasions to continue until 8 p.m. the half-hour for tea has been forgotten or curtailed to twenty minutes. In other words, the half-hour interval, which alone prevents a period of employment being deemed to be continuous, has been given in the form of a quarter of an hour in the morning and afternoon, an arrangement popular with workers, who welcome two breaks for tea and who also find that wages are often not stopped for a quarter of an hour,