THE FACTORY ACT.

Evening Star, Issue 3388, 30 December 1873, Page 2

THE FACTORY ACT.

To the Editor. Sir, —Some little time ago a very large number of those animated by a fellow-feeling, and possessing _ qualities rare—and seldom to he met with in some of our business men in Dunedin—had cause to rejoice at the victory gained by liberty and freedom over gross selfishness and positive slavery, through the Legislature passing the Factory Act introduced by Mr Bradshaw. Had the Act passed been the Animals Protecting Act, or the Cruelty to Animals Act, possibly the Government would ere now have seen it to be their duty to instruct the proper authorities to see that it had been put in force and preserved intact. But as it concerns the species to which they themselves belong, and a variety of the species now very numerous, they perhaps think that the world can well dispense

with some of them; and hence the indifference •with which they view the slow process of murder to which many of their fellow-creatures arc subjected. , . . ~ A fear—because there is a close connection between cowardice and wrong-doing -- prevented for a little time the various drapers in Dunedin from keeping the females under their employ beyond the hours prescribed by the Act, unless it may be asked as an obligement to stay a few minutes to finish the work they had in hand. The stronger feeling of selfishness predominates, and whether they are willing or no, the few minutes have by a c uninou, though gradual process, been changed into hours ; and instead of two o’clock on Saturday, more than one draper’s shop kept the females employed m their establishments until between the hours of four and five. Now, sir, I think you will agree with me that this is an open insult to our laws as well as our law makers ; and while it does anything but reflect credit upon those who aiO so engrossed with self as to take advantage of a class requiring the protection of the Legislature, it certainly docs not reflect credit up ( m those whose duty it is to preserve and uphold the law. Trusting what has been said wil.. be sufficient to accomplish the object the writer has in view, I will for the present conclude by thanking you for your insertion of the above. 1 ic ’ Humanity. Dunedin, December 29,