LEAD-GLAZING IN THE POTTERIES.
Fro TUE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") Sig,—In. your review of Mr. Baring-Gould's novel, "The Frobishers" (Spectator, March 30th), you say that it deals largely with the formidable "problems connected with lead- glazing in,the Potteries," and you add: "The difficulties con- nected with providing adequate protection against the subtle forms of lead-poisoning, together with the real crying need of safety for the workers, are worked into the story," &c. As this matter has already been the subject of letters in your columns, and as for the welfare of the industry of this district much hangs on the public mind being dispossessed of incor- rect ideas on it, may I give your readers the information that the difficulty is not correctly stated in your reviewer's words? There is no "difficulty connected with providing adequate pro- tection against lead-poisoning," since, for all but a quite in- significant proportion of the workers in lead who are consti- tutionally predisposed to the disease, this "adequate protection" consists in taking advantage of the facilities for waShing, which are provided On all works, and in obeying the rules against eating in working rooms. The "difficulty" is hr inducing the workpeople to observe these simple precau- tions. With the disastrous indifference that familiarity with a- certain, though not a great, risk is too apt to breed, they largely 'neglect them, and thus "the real crying need of safety for the workers" is needlessly perpetuated by the workers themselves. This is an element in the case that appears to be a6 little known that I hope you will be able to find space for
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