MR. R. G. WEBSTERI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the prohibition of the working of overtime by young persons is inflicting serious inconvenience and hardship upon employers in the printing and allied trades, since it prevents provision being made to meet sudden emergencies and special seasons, it being impossible to work the machinery without the help of young persons, while in many cases it is very inconvenient and expensive, and in some cases impracticable to make arrangements for working two shifts; (2) whether he is aware that the Rules of the Printers Trade Unions do not admit of the members working the full hours allowed by the Factory Act, and that as a consequence many employers are prevented from taking advantage of the full time permitted by the Act; and (3) whether he will consider the advisability of reverting to the overtime allowed by the original Act, viz., 48 days in the year?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYThe abolition of the working of overtime by young persons was fully discussed by the Committee on the Bill of last Session, and was adopted by a large majority. It must necessarily cause some temporary inconvenience to the numerous industries affected by the change, but less to the printing trades than to others, because they enjoy exceptional powers of employing young persons at night under Sections 58 and 59 of the Act of 1878, and these powers have been extended by Section 30 of the Act of 1895, which sanctions the employment of male young persons in three shifts of eight hours each. I have made inquiry both of the trade society and employers, and cannot find that there are any such rules as are alluded to in the second paragraph of the question; but in any case I am not prepared to propose the repeal of a provision which was so recently adopted by Parliament after the fullest consideration.