340 . REroKT-1903. 



save a few evenings' overtime tends to inefficient employment of capital, 

 and ill those cases (rare, if they indeed exist) where women could work 

 overtime without injury and more expensive labour has to be used in 

 their stead, there is also inefficiency. 



When restriction has promoted the factory system or encouraged the 

 invention of machinery, it has in several cases, already instanced, hastened 

 the use of the most efficient processes. 



Any restriction of employme,nt, whether due to legislation, Trade 

 Union action, or the necessities of machine production, which enforces a 

 uniform time of work on all, is certain to press difierently on difiFerent 

 persons. There will be some, of exceptional strength, to whom the 

 existing limitation of hours will act as a check. The strong or skilfu], 

 however, are likely to find their way into industries where their strength 

 or skill will have sufficient play ; and, where piece-wages are the rule, 

 nearly everyone can produce his or her maximum output, though the 

 time is restricted. Others can find activities out of hours in non-industrial 

 pursuits. Few, perhaps, will argue seriously that 55^ hours in textiles, 

 or 60 hours in other industries (and with overtime allowed of 45 to 75 

 hours a year), is too short a time for a woman to exhaust her productive 

 capacity. If they do, they must blame the general tendencies which force 

 workers to labour together, rather than legislation. 



Conclusion. 



Note. — In the following, by the Acts is meant those parts of the 

 Factory Acts which subject the work of women to regulations which do 

 not apply to men (see p. 317, above). 



The Committee are unanimous in expressing the following opinions, 

 subject to the reservation noted below : — • 



1. The Factory Acts have reduced weekly hours of work in some- 

 cases and regularised them in many, and have nearly abolished night 

 work for women. 



2. The maximum allowed is in general greater than the number of 

 hours worked by men in trades regulated by agreement between em- 

 ployers and Trade Unions. 



3. In some cases legislation has enforced the custom of the better 

 managed firms, in others it has made compulsory hours that would not 

 have obtained otherwise. 



4. Ill nearly all cases employers admit that the normal hours allowed 

 are sufficient, and welcome the restriction ; frequently the hours actually 

 worked are less than those allowed. 



5. Employees, so far as their opinions have been gathered, are 

 unanimous in approving the restriction to the maximum allowed. 



6. But for the compulsory restriction the hours would often be 

 lengthened against the will of the majority of all concerned. 



7. The Acts have had considerable efifect in spreading work more 

 uniformly through the week, month, or year, where there is occasional 

 pressure. 



8. In the great majority of cases there is approval of or acquiescence 

 in the restriction of overtime ; but in some few cases greater elasticity in 

 arranging hours of work and the removal of the prohibition of overtime 

 is urgently desired by employers. 



9. It appears that in a small minority of cases the partial removal of 



