§ MR. BARROW (Southwark, Bermondsey)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to an inquest held at Bermondsey Town Hall, on Tuesday 21st, on the body of Henry Bortsh, a baker, who was reported to have worked 21 hours in a bakehouse; and whether he will take the necessary steps to prevent men from being employed such a number of hours in succession?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLThe Secretary of State's attention has been called to a newspaper report of this sad case. We feel that it is a deplorable thing that anyone should work for such excessive hours, but the law at present imposes no limits upon the labour which adult men may undertake.
§ MR. JOHN BURNS (Battersea)Is the Under Secretary for the Home Department aware that, in spite of the efforts of various Trades Unions to reduce the number of hours worked in one day, very little has been effected in the baking trade? Is it not desirable, too, that underground bakehouses should be abolished altogether?