HAND-LOOM WEAVERS FACTORY SYSTEM. 441) 



and which involved the interests of the manufacturers no less than 

 those of the operatives, gave birth to the above-mentioned enactment, 

 supposed of course to be founded on the Report of the Commis- 

 sioners ; yet, extraordinary as it may sound, the bill was passed 

 seven months before the Reports were returned. 



The Factory question is one intimately woven up with the 

 prospects of labour, and with the social welfare of the entire mass of 

 the labouring community ; public attention cannot therefore be too 

 strongly directed towards it, as the most extraordinary misrepresen- 

 tations are afloat on the subject : parliament will no doubt be called 

 upon to repeal or modify its last measure a measure passed in the 

 most profound ignorance, and upon the reports of men either guided 

 by interest or the blindest prejudice. 



The question resolves itself briefly into the following points 

 Wage, Morals, and Health. 



With respect to the first of these points, it is not necessary that 

 we should dilate upon it. From an examination of very extensive 

 returns, it appears, that the average earning of each factory operative 

 is somewhere about 10s. per week : this is corroborated by Mr. 

 Baines and by Mr. Gaskell, who says, ' the persons engaged in 

 Cotton Mills earn much higher wages than most other classes of la- 

 bourers ; the average may be fixed at ids. per week : this includes the 

 children, who in all instances form a considerable proportion of the 

 hands. This is a rate of wage, generally speaking, amply sufficient 

 to furnish the labourer with the comforts and decencies of life." 



With this fact before us, the matter becomes very simple as to 

 the second point Does factory labour conduce to the morals of 

 those engaged in it? or does factory labour conduce to immorality? 

 These are two very important queries ; and the answer to them must 

 be based upon the circumstance, that multitudes of young people of 

 both sexes are crowded together, without any sufficient control over 

 their conduct. The moralist will say, what has this to do with the ques- 

 tion ? We answer every thing ; inasmuch as this bringing young peo- 

 ple into immediate contact inevitably leads to immorality. Mr. Baines 

 very justly remarks, " that the morality or immorality of the opera- 

 tives must be affected by the character of the masters and over- 

 lookers, and by their negligence or care in watching the conduct of 

 those placed under them. It is to be feared that licentiousness 



