FACTORY INSPECTION. One of the most important duties imposed upon the Bureau is the inspection of all factories, work-shops, mercantile establishments, etc., in the state, in which men, women, or children are employed; and of all hotels, lodging-houses, theatres, and other places of public resort. The inspection of the former class of establishments has for its chief purpose the enforcement of the laws which make provision for the health and safety of the persons therein employed. In the case of public buildings, inspection is made mainly to secure the safety of the public generally, by insuring the existence of adequate means of egress in the event of fire. The inspection of bakeries seeks primarily to protect the public against deleterious food products, by enforcing rigorously sanitary conditions in all that is concerned with the manufacture of bread and similar foods. A period of two years, ending October 31, 1906, is covered by this report. The chief facts of interest ascertained by the inspectors in the course of their work, together with the steps taken to remedy any conditions demanding action, are summarized in the following tables. The first set of tables pertains to the factories and workshops inspected, exclusive of cigar factories, bakeries, and public buildings. In the first table the firms are presented by cities and villages, with the number of buildings occupied by each, classified as to height; the number of employees, classified as to sex; the number of children under sixteen years of age employed; and the number of steam boilers and the total horse power, where steam power is used. In the second table, which is largely a summary of the first, the totals of the above items are given for each city or village, and, in addition, the total number of establishments in each and the number using other than steam power. Aside from the individual facts of interest these two tables possess considerable value as affording a reasonably complete directory of the manufacturing establishments of the state, and also as indicating in some degree the relative importance of the various cities as manufacturing centers. It will be observed that 350 places were visited by the inspectors and a total of 4,237 establishments inspected. It should be noted, however, that these figures do not represent the entire activity of the agents of the Bureau in reference to the manufacturing establishments of the state, inasmuch as two or more inspections were made in the case of nearly every establishment. It is the policy of the Bureau to follow an inspection by a second inspection within a short time, in order to ascertain whether all orders made have been complied with, and if not, to take such steps, by prosecution if necessary, as will result in a full compliance with the law. It has been found advisable also to inspect each establishment at least as often as every year. The remainder of the first set of tables deal with various facts pertaining to the establishments inspected. The majority are self-explanatory, and comment will therefore be made only when it is desired to call attention to facts of special interest. |