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56
nuisances I have found persons comply with the
law through personal application. I have not
advised any attempt at procuring evidence for the
purpose of prosecution. I have no doubt that a
large number of young persons have been relieved
from the pressure and exhaustion of extended hours
of labour by the provisions of this Act.
As to the extent of population to which this Act
applies, I would remind you that we have 12,000
women in Saint James, above 20 years of age. Of
these 5,000 have no occupation. Of the remaining
7,000, 3,000 are domestic servants to whom this Act
does not apply. There is then a population of 4,000
women above 20 years of age, who are working at
businesses protected by this Act. In addition to
this I calculate that there is another population of
children of both sexes, and young women under 20
years amounting to another 4,000, who may also
obtain relief from fatiguing and exhausting labour
by the provisions of this Act. It is to be hoped
also that the moral effect of this Act will be to
mitigate the excessive hours of labour to which
many domestic servants are exposed, and whose
case frequently requires as much consideration as
that of their fellow-women employed in "manual
"labour exercised by way of trade."