Dr. Reginald Farrar's report to the Local Government Board on the lodging of workmen employed in the construction of public works.

  • Farrar, Reginald, 1861-1921.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. Reginald Farrar's report to the Local Government Board on the lodging of workmen employed in the construction of public works. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The following are the sections in the Port of London Act referring to the engagement of casual labour :— Section 6.—(1) (ii) An order authorising the construction of new works shall impose on the Port Authority an obligation to provide such housing accommodation for the persons to be employed at the new works when constructed as the Board of Trade may from time to time consider requisite. Section 28.—(1) The Port Authority shall take into con- sideration the existing methods and conditions of engagement of workmen employed in dock, riverside, and warehouse labour in connexion with the Port of London, and shall, either by themselves or in co-operation with other bodies or persons, by establishing or maintaining or assisting in the establishment or maintenance of offices, waiting-rooms, and employment registers, and by the collection and communication of informa- tion and otherwise, take such steps as they think best calculated to diminish the evils of casual employment, and to promote the more convenient and regular engagement of such workmen or any class thereof: Provided that nothing in this section shall deprive any person of any legal right which he would otherwise possess with regard to the engagement of labour. (2) The Port Authority may make bye-laws with respect to admission to, and the maintenance of order in, such offices and waiting rooms, and otherwise for the purpose of carrying this section into effect. A Bill to provide for the establishment of Labour Exchanges is now before the House of Lords, having passed the House of Commons. Cheap Hailioay Fares.—The Commission further recommended that arrangements should be made to enable the Labour Exchanges to grant passes entitling workmen travelling to a situation to specially cheap railway fares; in suitable cases the cost of the passes might be provided and recovered afterwards from the workmen. This recommendation is particularly applicable in the case of navvies. Having no trustworthy means of finding out where work is to be obtained, many navvies (perhaps the majority) now tramp from one public work to another on the strength of vague rumours of possible employment. This statement applies not only to shiftless and casual workers, but even to strong and steady men, who, though their chance of obtaining work may be good, yet do not care to expend money on railway fares unless they can be certain of employment when they reach their destination. To be able to secure engagement by means of a labour exchange, and to be forwarded cheaply by rail to the place where their services are required, would be a great boon to this class. Detention in Casual Wards.—Navvies in search of work and without funds sometimes need to resort to casual wards of work- houses, but men genuinely anxious for work as a rule avoid the casual wards on account of the detention involved, which makes it
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