§ MR. J. DEVLIN (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the case heard at Armagh Petty Sessions on 14th instant, in which a local laundry firm was convicted of having habitually worked six female employees from ten o'clock on Sunday nights to seven o'clock on Monday mornings, and then, with short intervals for meals, continued to work these females until seven o'clock on Monday nights; whether he is aware that the resident magistrate said he thought it was a deliberate case, and inflicted a fine of only 3s. in each case; and whether he will direct a more rigid and thorough inspection of such firms in future with a view to the prevention of similar breaches of the Factory and Workshops Acts.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI have received a Report on this case from the Factory Inspector. The offence charged was the serious one of employing women from 10.30 on Sunday evening, 29th March, to seven o'clock on the following Monday evening. It is the case that a 304 penalty of 3s. only was imposed in respect of each of the twelve cases taken, but this was the decision of the majority of the Court and not of the resident magistrate who, according to the newspaper reports, stated that he would have imposed a heavier fine because he considered it a deliberate case. The action of the inspector has been successful in securing the detection and punishment of these breaches of the law, and I see no occasion for giving any special instructions to him on the subject. It is not in my power to give instructions to the magistrates, but I cannot help saying that it becomes almost impossible to secure the enforcement of the. Factory Act if a serious offence, committed deliberately and after full warning, is so inadequately punished.