of the discovery made first by voluntary, then by appointed inspectors, that neither health nor morals remained for factory-workers, and that hopeless deterioration would result unless government interfered at once.  Hideous epidemic diseases, an extinction of any small natural endowment of moral sense, and a daily life far below that of the brutes, had showed themselves as industries and the attendant competition developed; and the story in all its horror may be read in English Bluebooks and the record of government inspectors, and made accessible in the works of Giffen, Toynbee, Engels, and other names identified with reform.

The bearing of these acts upon legislation in our country is so strong that a summary of the chief points must find mention here.  In the Act of 1802 the hours of work, which had been from fourteen to sixteen hours a day, were fixed at twelve.  All factories were required to be frequently whitewashed, and to have a sufficient number of windows, though these provisions applied only to apprenticed operatives.  In 1819 an act forbade the employment of any child under nine years of age, and in 1825 Saturday was made a half-holiday.  Night work was forbidden in 1831, and for all under eighteen the working day was made twelve hours, with nine for Saturday.

By 1847 public opinion demanded still more change for the better, and the day was made ten hours for working women and young persons between thirteen and eighteen years, though they were allowed to work between six A.M. and six P.M., with an allowance of an hour and a half at mealtime.  Our own evils, while in many points far less, still were in the same direction.  Here and there a like evasion of responsibility and of the provisions of the law was to be found.  Even when a corps of inspectors were appointed, they were bribed, hoodwinked, and generally put off the track, while the provisions in regard to the shielding of dangerous machinery, cleanliness, etc., were ignored by every possible method.  Were law obeyed and its provisions thoroughly carried out, English factory operatives would be better protected than those of any other country, America not accepted.  Sanitary conditions are required to be good.  All factories are to be kept clean, as any effluvia arising from closets, etc., renders the owners liable to a fine.  The generation of gas, dust, etc., must be neutralized by the inventions for this purpose, so that operatives may not be harmed thereby.  Any manufacturer allowing machinery to remain unprotected is to be prosecuted; and there are minute regulations forbidding any child or young person to clean or walk between the fixed and traversing part of any self-acting machine while in motion.  At least two hours must be allowed for meals, nor are these to be taken in any room where manufacturing is going on.

For this country such provisions were long delayed, nor have we even now the necessary regulations as to the protection of machinery.  In the early days, though many mills were built by men who sought honestly to provide their employees with as many alleviations as the nature of the work admitted, many more were absolutely blind to anything but their own interest.  With the disabilities resulting we are to deal at another point.  It is sufficient to say here, that the struggle for factory-workers became more and more severe, and has remained so to the present day.