The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1886-05-11 00:00:00

Corresponbrna.

sVALL SID)PEEEPERS AND EARLY
c1.0#31N.,

Tugh Friti.;/.

Oxforloitreet, W., May htb. ltkei.
1 Sir,—However disinterested the witnesees from the
large Weet end coneerns in favour°, Sir John Lubbock's
Bill, they are open to the charge of advocating their
own interests, their object being to compel their
weaker competitors to do that which they themselves
have already done voluntarily.
For myself, I yield to no man in my desire for •
morr equal distribution of the drudgeries and delights
of life, but I have no sympathy with any line of
action which shows • disposition to bring undue
preemre t. bear n the croelly taxed small shop.
keeper, by whom, with Ids limited ietiirns, arid
heavily entsghted ax he alreedy is, the cramping efist4
of uncalled for Stew interference would' be keenly
felt, We know it is commonly contended by persons
who know nothing of trade that as much bueinese can
be.aoue in eight hours aa in 13, and therefore that if
all close at a given hour no one will be the loser, but
it seems to be forgotten that tbis neoemitatee a larger
stag, and hence inmeases working el Penaedr resulting
inn correeponding loss, unless covered by larger grow
profit& by no means uniformly attainable.
400111 legislation, however, in the form of liye7aws
Ic.r the ilation of specific trades would be far
preferable to OsittifigrAys In:eerie] legislation for
young pereona uoaer 18.7ears' to age, irLie.4 rocld
seriously interfere with the order of busidesa, ironic&
prejudicially affect the relations between employer
and employed, and certainly tend to exclude such
young persona (rem employment, the law itaelf being
adead letter, wane made effective through the
eggnog 41 Am „r„y of inquisitorial inspectors. Let
the bard.sorking daopiproe: contemplate with
witasignity. II be ees b&VIILO Alb* to tb,
. . .

of these well-Paid, easy living, bureaucratic gentle-
men ! Moreivev, it iv patent Pi all that the health
of youth is quite a. critical from 114 to 21 as from 15 to
not to peak of the fw:t that applicants for employ-
ment, whether *lulu on their own account or
guardian, on behalf of minors, make hi. hours of
bipineva a main factor in their negociations with an

employer.
The data it;,. whirl, it is proposed to letrialate are
a compilation anti-rated statements, inter-
min./led wilt palpahle falselh•ela, and cucunitaitu a
glaring libel upon the British shopkeep e, many .4
the allege.l caw. of injuoy to health from businen
te the candid mond obviously the resin' .4
inlien.nt delicacy of constitution. thily on Saturday
It'.; a,. article in the Splelabw afforded a striking
illustration ..f the mistoohed 1,11 whirh ponupts
many to intent; t it. grapple with this ipiestian, who,
froin ignorant, of the fails, are quite unfitted to do
it.. The writers says, aoionic ..titer things, that the
work .4 serving in a shop .• more 111011.A.N.111* than
work in a factory. and is therefore more injiiri..... to
health Surely the mist soperfieial obierver of the
tßoi otectlillth.l.l X. 1.11, that it,,.. le 411
almollFhty. I challenge the writer of this article to
name • vocation in which • wrosipoodiug number .4
women of similar calibre could find entPlorolll ite
varied and remunerative and pieju liCiAl let
health aa that afforded hy the dry tr.tle trade.
Ilaaty legislation cc.. thi• question I. alsi.e all thious
to he deprecated. It is not for a few womb.. lit
London tralers to act a.. if they were onutwtent
represent the trading comintihity tnnitiglemt the
kingdoms, and to endeavour to .I.t. through the lions..
of Common. this ill-digested inossare. It liehov a
shopkeepers all over the aritntry to hestir them.elves.
and to insist that the circumstances .4 all lie doly
chnsidervil, whether it be the fashion thle busmena in
nosid.street or the chandler's shop in Bethnal Gramm.
--I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

Jim,: Limns.