EXTENSIONS AND ALTERATIONS.
For the whole of the first year of war and almost the whole of the second year, the building department of the Society was kept busy with the extension to the M‘Neil Street premises. The principal reason for this extension was the necessity for securing more space for the biscuit factory, and as soon as practicable this extension was carried through. A new travelling oven was installed early in 1915 at a cost of £175, and at the same time a new biscuit cutting machine was got at a cost of £300. A gas-fired travelling oven was also installed before the end of the year and another one, built in accordance with alterations suggested by the bakery staff, was installed in October 1916. In the spring of 1915, it was decided to cover over the space between bakehouses Nos. 11 and 12 for the purpose of providing dressing rooms for the workers, and at the same time it was decided to put fans in each flat for ventilation purposes.
M‘NEIL STREET BLOCK COMPLETED.
Parts of the new block at the Adelphi Street and South York Street corner were occupied as they were completed. Particularly, the ground floor was occupied as an extension to the biscuit factory, but it was not until June 1916 that the entire building was ready for the official opening ceremony. This was of a very modest character, for, as the chairman stated, the directors did not think the circumstances of the time lent themselves to the celebration of the opening of their splendid addition by means of a grand function, and in this he believed the board had interpreted the wishes of the delegates.
The dressing room for the female workers, which was situated on the fourth flat, was fitted up in an excellent manner. Each worker had a locker of her own, made of cast steel, of which she alone held the key. Fourteen wash-hand basins were fitted up and eight spray baths. There was also an excellently appointed sickroom, where a girl who became unwell suddenly could rest, and also a room fitted up with the appropriate scientific appliances, where accidents could be treated at once.
At the quarterly meeting, which took place on the day on which the new wing of the building was opened, the chairman stated that the total cost of the land and the buildings on it had been £11,800, while the total cost of the bakery buildings, including the addition, had been £131,000; which had been depreciated to the extent of £52,000.