View report page

18
Workshop Regulation Act.
Having received a letter from Mr. Alexander Redgrave,
Her Majesty's Inspector of Factories, dated 15th September,
1868, asking for information of the steps "taken for the
administration of the Act, and the results of any action
taken in the matter," I sent him a Report, dated September
18th, 1868, which was printed in extenso in his Report,
ending October 31st, 1868, to both Houses of Parliament.
In compliance with a resolution of the Vestry held on
the 20th of November, 1867, Mr. Chappell, the Vestry
Clerk, supplied me with printed abstracts of the Act, which
have been distributed to different workshops, to many of the
clergy and schoolmasters in the parish.
Soon after I received a letter from the late Sir Richard
Mayne, with two communications and papers respecting
cases of alleged contravention of the Act, but I did not then
take proceedings after having ascertained the truth of the
charges, as the parties accused promised to carry out the provisions
and to do all that was required. They afterwards
broke their promise, and were ultimately convicted. Although
I meant urgently to demand a diminution of the hours of
work, I did not take advantage of evidence obtained after
the first complaint, wishing to carry out this new Act in as
conciliatory a manner as possible, rather than excite a strong
opposition to that which is essentially good, and conducive to
the health of the milliners and dressmakers.
The following method was adopted on ascertaining that
any of the provisions of this Act had been contravened:
Having entered the premises, I took the evidence of the
needlewomen as to their hours of work and time of meals.
I then inspected the workshops and the condition of the bedrooms
as to cleanliness, size, and ventilation.
Should the Act have been infringed, I visited and