ABSTRACT
Association, headed by Sir Sydney Waterlow, had an interview with the Home Secretarv with reference to certain restrictions proposed in the Factories and W orkshops Bill as to the employment of adult women in the bookbinding trade. Sir Sydney Vvaterlow pointed out that the Factory Acts Extension Act of 1867, permitted an extension of the hours of labour to meet the peculiar case of the bookbinding trade. Under the head of "overtime," the Bill proposed that women and young persons should not, during the allowed days of overtime, work later than 9 in the evening, the hour at present allowed being 10; and further, that, instead of 96 days, they should only have 48 da.ys of the l?ublishing season, (from October to January) for workmg the extended hours. His own sons employed 250 women, and they desired him to say that it was impossible to get the women to work at 8 o'clock in the morning, and l?ractically 9 o'clock was the time at which they begm their work. Those engaged in getting out the railway time-tables and the magazines had great pressure put upon them. More wages were paid during the four months at the busy time of the year than were paid during the other eight months, and the women themselves were very anxious to get the extra overtime. As to the overtime for young persons under 18 years of age they had no desire to alter the proposal; but in the case of the adult women they themselves wished that the hours should remain as at present. Mr. Cross said that as to the inconvenience arising from not being able to get the women to work at ~ o'clock in the morning, in the 43d clause in the Bill the Home Secretary had power to allow the period of employment between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. in certain cases, and that he might, without interfering with the priuciples of the Bill, allow the overtime to go on till J 0 o'clock in the evening. '1'he only other point was as to 48 days allowed for permitting overtime not being sufficit!nt. The royal Commission had recommended 48 days instead of 96 days, as at present, but this was a matter that he would give his attention to.
