A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921.

ORDER XIII.—MAKERS Of TEXTILE GOODS AND ARTICLES OF DRESS

401.—Foremen and Overlookers

checker: see examiner.
examiner ; checker, garment inspector, garment passer, garment viewer, inspector, looker, overlooker, overseer, passer, viewer: examines and supervises work during process and on completion; returns defective work for correction; often books out work to operatives and does other clerical work, e.g. control of wages sheets; in some trades, may also finish garments, cf. finisher (corsets) (406), finisher (shirts) 419); sometimes done by foreman q.v.; cf. examiner (428).
foreman ; looker-over (handkerchiefs), overlooker, overseer: supervises work and staff, keeps time sheets and is responsible for discipline and for quality of work turned out; passes work of machinists, finishers (419), etc., q.v. and . generally overlooks workshop; in small workrooms, may also perform manual work himself; in hat trade, gives out work to out-workers and sub-contractors and is responsible for assessing prices to be paid for work.
forewoman, foremistress: as for foreman ; generally in charge of women workers only.
inspector, garment inspector: see examiner.
looker: see examiner.
looker-over (handkerchiefs): see foreman.
overlooker, overseer: (i) see examiner;; (ii) see foreman.
passer, garment passer: see examiner.
putter-through: an examiner q.v. in a clothing factory who only examines garments between different processes of manufacture and returns defective garments which do not come up to a certain standard; makes simple book record of garments passing from one operation to another (putting through).
supervisor: visits workshops of outworkers end sub-contractors to ensure that work is finished to time, and according to requirements; cf. order clerk (939).
viewer, garment viewer: see examiner.

From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016. This text is in the Public Domain.