The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-08 00:00:00

THE .FACTOBY INSPECTORS' R.EPORT,

The reports of the inspectors' of factories for the half yeas
ending October, 1868, have been issued, and form an octavo
volume of goodly size. They contain a great deal of useful
information concerning the application of the new Factory
Acts to the miscellaneous trades and occupations of the
country, and to the educational questiong connected with
them. In the first place it is satisfactory to find that few
instances have occurred during tho half-year, in which it
has been necessary to prosecute offenders under the Factory
Acts. In the district of Mr. Redgrave, the senior in-
spector, there were only twenty manufacturers be felt
called upon to proceed against. Of the 5,396 occupiers of fac-
tories under the earlier acts only 16 have been prosecuted,
and of the 7,580 occupiers of works under the act of 1867
only three, and in one of these throe cases the prosecution
I was undertaken with tho view of settling a doubtful point
of law. It is, as Mr. Redgrave observes, most gratifying to
find the good feeling and co-operation inereaing in every
class of works. The number of accidents reported 2,789, is
much larger than the previous year, but that is owing to
the regulations being better known. Mr. Redgrav© is of
opinion, however, that most of these reports are
useless, end more than half the accidents were not
caused by machinery, and many of the remainder
were purely accidental. It is worth notice, however, that
Mr. Baker, the second inspector, holds a different opinion on
this point. Mr. Baker thinks that it is highly important the
origin of all accidents should be ascertained. There is often
negligence or indifference or dislike to incur expense on the
part of the owners, and great carelessness or nonchalance
among the workers, and a dangerous amount of curiosity
among the new hands. It is stated that since the accidents
in mines have been carefully inspected the number has been
greatly reduced, and it is hoped the same result will follow
the accident reports in the factories. Mr. Baker advises the
compulsory maintenance of all sufferers by accidents from
unprotoctod machinery by the employer, with pensions to
families whose head is killed by such prevent:lA disasters.
Another point on which Mr. Baker differs from his colleague
is that of the surgeon's certificates. At present the em-
ployers are obliged to obtain a surgical certificate of age for
every young person under eighteen whom they employ, a
regu ation which Mr. Redgrave thinks is needlessly oppres-
sive, as the registrar of births could supply the requisite in-
formation. This clause in the act excites a good deal of
discontent among the employers, who have to pay the
surgeon's fees. Mr. Baker, however, is anxious to main-
tain the law as it now stands, believing that it pre-
serves us from the physical evils produced by
factory work. The Workshop Regulation Act has worked
very well, and is likely to do much service. In every con-
♦iction under it during the half year the offence was the
illegal employment of young girls and women. Some diffi-
culties exist in the way of enforcing all the Acts in special
cases. Thus many tobacco manufacturers are Jews, whose

scruples prevent them from employing women and young
persons on Saturday, while the law fc rbi Is tl. em to eo so on
Sunddy. The job printers, too, are dissatisfied with the re-
strictions imposed on them, while the establishments for
needlework of various kinds suffer from the enforced limita-
tion of their hours. In this case, h it would be
necessary to proceed very carefully in the way of relax-
ing the law. The educational effect of the Factory Acts
is not their least important aspect, and we are soriy to find
that as yet they have proved valueless in raising the stan-
dard of education in the metropolis, Mr. Ilende't see, one
of the sub-inspectors, says that, with ono solitary exception,
he is not aware of any children attending school under
the Act of 1867 in his division.. Employers Lave made no
effort to adopt the half-time system, because thoy can
get as many young persons over twelve as they choose to
employ. With regard to the half-time system itself, it is
noticeable that these reports fully confirm all that has been
said of its advantages. In spite of the general advantages
of the Scotch in the matter of education, only 46 per cent.
of the factory children of Edinburgh could read and write,
while in Leeds, Rochdale, and Blackburn, where the half-
time system is adopted, the percentage was respectively 67,
GG, and 76. The several inspectors advise some slight
modifications or alterations in the Acts, though sanguine as
to their general effects, and on the whole the impression left
by their reports is encouraging.

THE COMIC PA.PE.RS.