The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-01 00:00:00

AGRICUL7 URAL GANGS.

The following is a copy of a bill introduced into
the house of Lords by the Lord Chancellor, entitled
an Act for the Regulation of Agricultural Gangs :--
" Whereas in certain counties in England certain
persons known as gangmaiters hire children, young
persons, and women, with a view to contracting
with farmers and others for the execution on their
lands of various kinds of agricultural work ; and
whereas it is expedient to make regulations with re-
spect to the employment of children, young persons,
and women by gangmasters. Be it enacted by the
Queen's most excellent Majesty, by and with the
advice and consent of the lords spiritual and tem-
poral, and commons, in this present Parliament
assembled, and by the authority of the same, as
follows :

I, 1. This act may be cited for all purposes as
The Agricultural Gangs Act, 1867.'

2, This act shall come into operation on the
Ist of January, 1869.

3. The following words and expressions shall in
this act have the meanings hereby assigned to them,
unless there is something in the context inconsistent
with such meanings ; that is to say, child' shall
mean a child under the age of 13 years; young
person' shall mean a pe-son of the age of 13 years
and under the age of 18 years ; woman' shall mean
a female of the age of 18 years or upwards ; gang-
master' shall mean any person who hires children,
young persons, or women, with a view to their
being employed in agricultural labour on lands not
in his own occupation ; and, until the contrary is
proved, any children, young persons, or women em-
ployed in agricultural labour on lands not in the
occupation of the person who hired them shall be
deemed to have been hired with the aforesaid view ;
agricultural gang' shall mean a body of children,
young persons, and women, or any of them, under
the control of a gangmaster.
4, 4. The following regulations shall be observed
by every gangmaster with respect to the employ-
ment of children, young persons and women :—(1.)
No child under the age of eight years shall be em-
ployed in any agricultural gang; (2.) No females
shall be employed in the same agticultural gang with
males, or under a male person acting as gang-
master ; and any gangmaster employing any child,
young person, or women in contravention of this
section, and any occupier of land on which such em-
ployment takes place, unless he proves that it took
place without his knowledge, shall respectively be
liable to a penalty not exceeding 20s. for each child,
young person, or woman so employed.
" 5. No person shall act as gangmaster unless he
has obtained a license to act as such under this act.
Any person acting as gangmaster without a license
under this act shall incur a penalty not exceeding
20s. for every day during which he so acts.
" 6. No license shall be granted to any person
who is licensed to sell beer, spirits, or any other ex-
ciseable liquor.
"7. Licenses to gangmasters shall be granted by
the justices in petty sessions, on due proof to the
satisfaction of such justices that the applicant for a
license is a good character, and a fit person to be
entrusted with the management of an agricultural
gang. Any person aggrieved by the refusal of the
justices to grant him a license to act as gangmaster
may appeal to the next practicable court of general
or quarter sessions ; and it shall be lawful for such
court, if they see cause, to grant a license to the
applicant, which shall be of the same validity as if
it:had been granted by the justices in petty sessions.
"8. Licenses under this act shall be in force for
one year only, and may be annually renewed on the
same proof on which an original license is granted.
" 9. There shad be charged in respect of each
grant or renewal of license a fee of is., and such fee
shall be accounted for and applied iu manner in
which the fees ordinarily received by the authority
granting the license are applicable.
" 10. On any conviction of a gangmaster of any
offence against this act, the justices who convict
him shall endorse on his license the fact of
such conviction ; and on any conviction of such
gangmaster of a second offence against this act the
justices may, in addition to any other penalty, sus-
pend his license for a period not exceeding six
months ; and on any conviction of any gangmaster