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SANITARY LEGISLATION.
Cruelty to Children (Prevention) Act, 1904.
"This statute is, in the main, a consolidating Act. It re-enacts,
"almost verbatim, the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to
"Children Act, 1894, which was itself a consolidating and amending
"statute, and incorporates the amendments introduced by the
"Employment of Children Act, 1903. Among the few new pro"visions
the following may be mentioned. The offences enumerated
"in the schedule, for the commission of which against a child the
"provisions of this statute for the detention and disposal of a
"child may be brought into operation, are considerably extended,
"so as to include assault and battery, attempt to commit an in"famous
crime, and manslaughter. Exhibiting a child for profit
"is made a special offence. A parent or guardian is no longer
"excluded from the clause which renders penal the training of a
"child for any dangerous performance or exhibition. Boards of
"Guardians are specially empowered to subscribe towards any
"association for the prevention of cruelty to children."—(Patersons
Practical Statutes.)
Shop Hours Act, 1904.
"This statute carries one stage further the legislation affecting
"shops, which began in 1902. By the Shop Hours Act of that
"year (55 and 56 Vict. c. 62) it was enacted that no young
"person (under the age of eighteen) should be employed in a
"shop for more than seventy-four hours in one week, and county
"and borough councils were empowered (but not compelled) to
"appoint inspectors for carrying the Act into execution. By an
"amending Act of 1893 (56 and 57 Vict. c. 67), power was given
"to defray the expenses incurred; and by another amending Act
"of 1895 (58 Vict. c. 5), a penalty was imposed upon a shop"keeper
who failed to keep a required notice exhibited. By an
"Act of 1899 (62 and 63 Vict. c. 21), seats are required to be
"provided for female assistants in retail shops. It will be observed
"that all these statutes are obligatory, but refer only to young
"persons or women. The present statute, which is expressly
"required to be read with them, is permissive, and applies to all
"shops and all persons in them. It empowers a local authority
"(a county or borough council, or the council of an urban district
"with a population of more than 20,000), with the sanction of the
"central authority (the Home Secretary) to make an order closing
"shops for retail trade for certain hours and under certain condi-