The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THUBSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1888. CHILDREN IN FACTORIES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1768, 16 February 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THUBSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1888. CHILDREN IN FACTORIES.

Unless it be Fir George Grey, there seems to be no member of the House of Representatives, disposed to take up tho mantle of the late Mr I radshaigh — Bradsbaw, whose chief aim as a legislator was to provide for the protection of women and chi dren . To the persistent and patient efforts of tho deceased gentleman is due the placing upon the Statute-book of the Employment of Females #nd Others Act 1881, arid of its subsequent amendments, the object of all wh eh was to prevent the weaker sex and the yonth and children of £he colony from being taxed beyond tjieir strength or mads to toil during uuduly protracted hours, to secure that they should not be crowded into ill-ventilated room 8 and that they should be allowed ample time for refreshment, rest and recitation. To no more noble end can any statesman direct his efforts, for ijie conservation of the health and physique! of the young and of the mothers of the next generation is, m the highest sense, the conservation of the best interests or the State, making for morality and intellectuality as well as for physical advantage*?, £cr 157 th peoples as with individuals there is a close connection and inter-rela-tion between the metis sayta ans the corpus itanum, While then we cordially approve of tho wise provisions which Parliament at Jtljo instance of Mr Bradfihaw has already made m tjiis direction j we eincejtfly hope :tbat mop will bo fouud !to take up tho work to which ho po I earnestly devoted himself, and to legjg* I late stili further m the aamo direction, whenever it appears that such further legislation 'v necessary. And to 'judge from certain circumstances which were brought before tho Auckland Hospital and Charitable' Aid Board at jitii meeting on Monday last it would seem ttitt further legislative provision needs to be ma^e for the prevention of ' tho employment of childieu m dangerous manufacturer. For tho telegraph 1 forms us that at the meeting referred , ' to, a letter was received froj# & medical man, Dr Lindwj, ■'•' drawing a^teu/tion to the caße of a lad of thirteen w^io ha^d been admitted to the hospital with hjs : arm mangled through its having boon caught m a machine which he was workWjgT at the Fibre (Jompaay's mill. The jlad Xf&a ,V?o ypung "to be at work, and the doctor ,urge 4 Jthffc Bomo inquiry should be mado into ttie queation tho .employment of such children m factories, *n4 the 4 a Pg er incurred by them m working macliine^ Dr Lindsay said

den furnished the hoßnital with a large ' number of patients v?ho were, with a few ' exceptions, little girls twelve or thirteen ' years of ago, their injuries being as a rule crushed fingers and thumb wounds i sustained m working machinery for the ' manufacture of cartridges, and ampata- ! tion bad m some c&Bes had to be reaorf ed to." This is a serious matter and one !. which certainly calls for the intervention | [ of the legislature, for, on turning up the Acts relating to the employment of children it will b 8 seen that while children may not be employed under ten years of age and while they may be only employed for bo many hourfl a day, there is no regulation as to the kind of employment m which they may be engaged. Now, it needs no argument to show that children of tender years cannot be expected to use the same caution m dealing with machinery and with dangerous articles such as explosives and noxious' chemicals as would bo practised byadults, and that gravo risk of accident must attach to their employment amid such surroundings, ft is high time, therefore, that statutory provision wera made acraiust BUch risky proceedings, and it is to bo hoped that the matter will not be lost sight of by the Government when drafting the Bill to further amend "The Employment of Females and Others Act/ whioh it is understood it is intended to introduce next session.