§ MR. COGHILL (Newcastle-under-Lyme)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the provisions of "The Factories and Workshops Act, 1878"(41 Vic, c. 16), have any application to public steam laundries; and, if not, if there is any reason why parsons employed in public steam laundries should not receive the same amount of protection as is given to persons employed in factories and workshops to which the Act of 1178 applies.
§ MR. MATTHEWSThe question of including laundries in the Factory Act of 1878 was carefully considered at the time of the passing of that Act. The trade strongly resisted the proposal, on the ground that so much of the work was required to be done without delay, that any limitation of the hours of work would be impracticable. A concession was accordingly made to the necessities of the trade, and laundries were not included in the Act, regard being had to the fact that children and young persons are not employed in laundries.