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5.— The Factories Act 1874 (Health of Women, &c.)
is a sanitary act of immense value, dealing as it
proposes, with the health and employment of women
the refreshment hours, and education of children. This
Bill was strongly opposed, many women believing
it to be a legislative fetter upon their right to labour,
and believing that they could make their own bargains
with employers just as well as men. Women are
certainly not allowed to judge for themselves in this
instance, and the grounds upon which Parliament
judged this politic, was based upon the sanitary aspect
of the question, in the Report of Dr. Bridges and
T. Holmes— to the Local Government Board on the
proposed changes in the hours and ages of persons
employed in Textile Fabrics.
6.— The Working Men's Dwelling Act, although
only applicable to Municipal Corporations, and does
not unfortunately touch the Metropolis where it is
most needed, affords increased facility for the acquisition
of sites for dwelling houses suitable for persons
engaged in manual labor. A Corporation can purchase
lands, grant leases of lands, make roads, drains, fences.
The Metropolitan Buildings Management Bill,
although prepared by the authority of the Metropolitan
Board of Works with much care, and referred to a
Select Committee, did not meet with enough support
to carry it through. There were in it several clauses and
bye-laws guarding against sanitary evils admitted by
officers of health. These related to the better preparation
of the foundation in the basements of new houses
by layers of concrete, a damp proof course with dry
areas, adequate light, cubic space, and ventilation.