THE VICTORIAN FEMALE LABOUR ACT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1156, 24 January 1874, Page 2

THE VICTORIAN FEMALE LABOUR ACT.

The Melbourne Daily Telegraph of December 25th, says :— " About a month ago, and shortly after the assent had been given to the Female Labour Act, introduced and carried through the Legislature by Major W. 0. Smith, a petition was presented to the Chief Secretary by the female operatives of the Victoria and Albion Woollen Cloth Factories, Geelong, | setting forth that the hours of labourviz., sixty hours per week, usual in thoße factories — were not oppressive or detrimental to their health, as the experience of the last few years had proved, there having been but little sickness amongst them. That any curtailment of the above hours would act prejudicially to their interests, as it was necessary that the work they were engaged in should be kept going fully sixty hours per week along with the rest of the factory. Should the Female Labour Act be enforced, the petitioners asserted it would eventually throw them. out_ of employment, and many of them being mothers of families, whilst others were supporting aged parents, the hardship and suffering that would consequently be inflicted would be very great. They therefore prayed that the Government would exorcise the power vested under the act by suspending the third clause in favour of the above factories. On receipt of this petition, signed by sixty-six females, the great majority employed in the factory, the Chief Secretary minuted it to. the following effect, and caused it to be forwarded to the Crown law officers :—: — < Will the Attorney-General be good enough to inform me if I can exercise in tnis case the general power conferred by the Act.' To this Mr Stephen replied—' In my opinion, the Chief Secretary can legally exercise the power of suspension in the manner proposed.' Mr Francis next forwarded the petition to the Solicitor-Gene-ral, with the request that he would cause enquiries to be made by the resident magistrate as to the total number of females employed in the factories, their ages, whether any pressure had been used to obtain the signatures, and whether any portion of the work on which they were engaged was deleterious to health from longer hours than named in the Bill. A report was received from Mr Panton, P.M., Geelong. The Chief Secretary purposes issuing an order in compliance with the petition when the Act conies into force, on the Ist January next. "