THE FACTORIES ACT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 9292, 19 January 1892, Page 2

THE FACTORIES ACT.

TO Tns/EMTOR. ' • Sir, — In reading your budget of news, among other things, my attention , waa arrested by tho grave appelation "tyrannous laws," over a letter purporting to bo sent ! to your office by a member of tho canine species. I must say tho wholo transaction as depicted by your correspondent, is worthy of a member of tho canine tribe, [ whether fox, wolf, or cur. If your correspondent wished to traverse the Factories Act, why not do so in an open and candid manner, and piovo, from his point of view, tli3 measuro to be detrimental to tho interests of tho community. I, for one, think otherwise, and considor tho young should bo protected as regards their hours of labour, work rooms and ventilation of tho same, &c. Our protective tariff on imported ready-made clothing is sufficient, I should^ pay, to secure fair profit to master tail 3 re without pressing the heart's blood out ofthoj'oung employees fingertops. The Factory Act is in the interests of humanity, and against tho avariciousness ! of the unscrupulous tradoamen on the one hand, and the utter solfishnoss display d by some class of customers on tho othor, as shown byyourcorrospondont'a letter, astho cußtomer required a suit of clothes to bo ready in three days for a bedding. Tradesman says, " Sorry to say, it cannot be done. I have ns many orders as I can turn out (luring the next month." If such was the case, why not go somowhere else, my friend, and not tempt an honest tradesman to break tho law in tho manner you aro said to have done, by working over hours, or the lassies taking home work with them. But, alas for poor Snip and his customer, tho law was on the side of tho woak against tho will of tho strong. " Can't do it"' says he; "£SO, or cliokey." What carol this customer if thoso fair young lassies' hoaltli were ruined, mortgaged to consumption, through long hours and over work, p ovided ho could have had hia clothe?. A little more forethought on his port would have obviated the difficulty, by attending to tho necessities of his wardrobe in time for tho momentous occasion of being a bridegroom. "Snip," with a sigh, , could only sue one possible way out of tho , difficulty, that was by making a falso declaration " Yes," says a visitor," " tho sin of 80 doing cannot rest upon your shoulders, but upon those who made the law." What selfishness, what knavsry, what temptation, is displayed here to break the law 1 Worse than the snake business in the Garden of Eden !— I aui, &c, R. Snecl.

All persons Buffering from defective sight should get spectacles from J. IIParker, watchmaker, jeweller, & optician, Devon-street, Now Plymouth.'-— N.B. Tho jtrcngth of the sight is tested by tho ' Patent Qptoiuetor," and suitable glassos juppliod.— Apvt