ON women's laboue. 331 



B and C, and little in A, "With women over 65 there is a falling-off all 

 round. 



The age group 15-25 is the most important numerically, and seems 

 to be favoured by the growth of the factory system with all its attendant 

 circumstances. Older women have diminished in number in all cases ; 

 but, speaking broadly, the diminution is no greater where trades have 

 comparatively recently passed into the factory stages than in those which 

 have long been regulated. Thus this table does not support any theory 

 which would connect regulation rather than other circumstances with 

 this decline ; nor, of course, does it enable us to distinguish the effect of 

 the increase of factories from that of other concurrent developments. 



The falling-off of the employment of women over 45 years of age in 

 all the occupations just dealt with is an important phenomenon. Part 

 may be attributed to the same causes which have led to the diminu- 

 tion of the number employed between 25 and 45 years since 1891, 

 and it may be hoped that this is due to diminished need on the part 

 of married women to work outside their homes. A certain part of it 

 is probably due to the inability of elderly women to adapt themselves 

 to altered conditions or to the unwillingness of employers to engage them, 

 <and this may be modified naturally in the process of time. Again, the fall 

 registered in Division iv. in 1871-1881, whatever its cause, might be ex- 

 pected to show itself again in Division v. in 1891-1901. 



Unless the fall can be shown to be due to increasing prosperity, it 

 suggests the necessity of careful examination of projected changes, with a 

 view to preventing discrimination against the employment of the old. 

 The Committee has not, however, come across any definite cases where 

 the old are handicapped by unnecessary or injudicious legislation. 

 Alleged cases are generally attributable to the necessities of machine 

 production.'^ 



Further light is thrown on these questions by a comparison of the 

 returns as to the numbers employed in factories and workshops under 

 inspection and the general census returns : — 



Census. — England and Wales, 



1901 



8:i7 occupied per 1,000 over 10 years of age. 



Factory and Workshop Returns. — Percentages that Number of Fe7nales over 

 14 years old form of Total Number of Males and Females over 14 years. 



' Some people, no doubt, will instance the new rules for Sheffield file-cutting as 

 a case in point ; but they only come into force in September 1003, and it is impossible 

 to foresee their effect, so that it is out of place to discuss them. 



