FACTORY ACTS

Acts pa ed for the regulation of factories and similar establishments, Considering that women and children were not qualified fully to protect themseives against the strain of competition, the British legislature has pa ed a@ series of Acts to regulate the conditions of their employment in factories. The immedia occasion of the first Act pa ed to regulate factory employment in England was the outbreak of an epidemic disease which committed great havoc among the younger ersons employed in factories in tho i strict round Manchester at tho beginning of the nineteenth century. 373 FACTORY ACTS An Act was pa ed (1802) in which provision was made for the regular cleansing and ventilation of mills and factories, and also for limiting the hours of labour to twelve daily. A number of others were pa ed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Under these Jaws all factories are subject to strict inspection by Home Office officials. In 1819 an Act followed which prescribed an hour and a half for meals in the course of a working day, and prohibited children under nine years of age being employed in factory work atall. Various Acts were pa ed up to 1878, when a general Factory and Workshop Act was pa ed, consolidating the previous series of statutes. Its scope was extended by a further series of enactments, until in the year 1901 the last general Act was pa ed, which consolidates and amends all previous legislation. The Act contains general provisions regarding drainage, sanitary conveniences, overcrowding, ventilation, fencing of dangerous machinery, . Factories are distinguished from workshops as making use of steam or other mechanical power. In textile factories the hours of labour for women and young persons (the latter between 14 and 18 years of age) are restricted to 10, but only 64 on Saturday and 56 in the week. In non-textile factories and workshops the hours may be 10} per day and 60 per week at most. Children (of 12 to 14 years) were not allowed to be employed more than 64 hours on any one day. (The Education Acts now prohibit almost entirely the employment of ‘school children’ in factories and workshops.) Provision is made for a certain number of annual holidays. Special provisions for particular kinds of factories are made, and under these the employment of females and young persons is regulated in bleaching and dyeing-works, lace-factories, manufactories of earthenware, lucifer matches, percu ion caps, cartridges, blast-furnaces, copper-mills, forges, foundries, manufactories of machinery, metal, india-rubber, gutta-perch a, paper, gla , tobacco, letterpre printing, bookbinding, . The Act of 1901 included laundries carried on by way of trade or for the purposes of gain. An Act of 1907 extended the Act of 1901 to laundries carried on as ancillary to another busine or incidentally to the purposes of any public institution. Acts pa ed in 1911 and 1929 gave power to make regulations applicable to cotton-cloth factories. Certain exceptions in regard to working overtime are provided for; thus women may sometimes work 14 hours a day. So far there has been no direct interference in any of the Factory Acts with the labour of adult male persons; but it is obvious that indirectly the position of the male labourer also is affected by legislation of this sort. All factories are subject to strict inspection by Home Otiice officials.