The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-08-25 00:00:00

Vaud Min* figeog.

DORCHESTER, AUGUST 25th, 16.

A FLAW N THE FRANCHISE
The Franchise Bill wu intended by its trainers to
be as comprehensive as possible ; yet already there is
• class crying out bemuse of exclusion. The Service
Clause, useful though it may be, fails to bring in that
fininiirous body, shop usistents, who, because they
are neither lodgers nor caretakers, find themselves
ineligible for registration. This is obviously an
oversight, and an important floe, when it is lemons.
bend how may assistants of venous kinds there We
in the country, the value of whose votes is as pest as
that of any other section of the community. Resident
focensan in charge of establishment, will be able to
avail themselves of the franchise ; men under the
same mut, older voltam and more capable, will be
debarred the privilege of voting. Undoubtedly this '
is • flaw in the lbll, and it shows how extremely
difficult it is to frame is meaaure which
shall meet every Ismaili!. want, as to
Wee no PS.III for subsequent agitation. In
legislation, and especially in reform legielstion,
there is no ouch thing as finality. The oinnonon in ths
present instance, however, is remarkable because the
class iain&riied is compooel of a hum. number .4
imrsoits by Ti'' 1111.1•101 unlikely to have grievance. .4
their own, It may Is. further maintained that the
clue is a highly deeerving one. When we consider
the indestry which their vocation implies, the
intelligence Wllll.ll ii celled int., exercise, and the
trust which is reposed, it would he difficult to name •
est i 4 citimous possessing grunter olainim to the Fran.
chi& ie soma! representation, Shop asaistants are
not so numeric as labourers, but few would deny
their fitness for the Vrenchiee, asd it teems anoinalmie
that the former should be able to emirate, the
privilege uI smog It oecupying
a Meese while Itortnan they
are only iii Ii woo, %chid.. I slogeether
from a viii.' ii ininin Alms. I totilill,sn ii Line,
windier of weietanta will Maim tinder the err ike
hut will these claim. i.e admitted? There
meows to be no ainaiderable doubt, and 11.10 h • point
ought not to have been left to the decision .4 the
Revising hist Meters, whose teak is sufficiently
difficult already. Otia thing, however, is certain
the Act will have to be unesded in the new Parlise
.it. Assistants mut meanwhile ease' heir claims.
They hare sot hitherto bun obtrusiv ; hut cirouni•
Mown Onal be irnegined in wklish they would find it
Merestery to look after themselves. Many of them
at. poi withal I grieveues already. In large towns
partseslerly It is well known their
labour are long, and employment, in tar ma adults
are &leavened, is subject to no official control.
Considering these inconveniences, it is surprising that
sesieleate have hitherto been so quiescent.
Fourteen hours • day, with alight interrnuaion for
meals, and without a weekly ludf•boliday, is a suite
if thing, which calls for redrew, and which, jerksie,
can only he remedied by direct representation. It is
not desirable for legislation to interfere with business
1.. any great intact ; yet, when we *insider the
ardwee 111StUrS if mine employments, we cannot help
wishing that. the law would, to wine, extant, do for
adults what it has so mercifully done for children.
We should like to see it come to the assistance
remit women in shops, whose jaded looks, from
standing so many hours, tell of the hardship,. they I
endure. We should weloime the sppliation ui some
regulation with regard to the hours of business, 1141
that customers should le. unilile mlo their 'Jointing ;
as late as they please. Aasietants have, indeed. food 1,
ground for looking alter their electoral right., and
we trust they will not rest satisfied until they are put
.in • par with electors who have been better cared for, I
hut who have certainly iiu greater claim to legislative
help.