Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century; Social problems
Of Time-Bill, Factory-Bill and other such Bills the present
Editor has no authority to speak. He knows not, it is for others
than he to know, in what specific ways it may be feasible to
interfere, with Legislation, between the Workers and the Master-
Workers;--knows only and sees, what all men are beginning to see,
that Legislative interference, and interferences not a few are
indispensable; that as a lawless anarchy of supply-and-demand,
on market-wages alone, this province of things cannot longer be
left. Nay interference has begun: there are already Factory
Inspectors,--who seem to have no _lack_ of work. Perhaps there
might be Mine-Inspectors too:--might there not be Furrowfield
Inspectors withal, and ascertain for us how on seven and sixpence
a week a human family does live! Interference has begun; it
must continue, must extensively enlarge itself, deepen and
sharpen itself. Such things cannot longer be idly lapped in
darkness, and suffered to go on unseen: the Heavens do see them;
the curse, not the blessing of the Heavens is on an Earth that
refuses to see them.
Again, are not Sanitary Regulations possible for a Legislature?
The old Romans had their Aediles; who would, I think, in direct
contravention to supply-and-demand, have rigorously seen rammed
up into total abolition many a foul cellar in our Southwarks,
Saint-Gileses, and dark poison-lanes; saying sternly, "Shall a
Roman man dwell there?" The Legislature, at whatever cost of
consequences, would have had to answer, "God forbid!"--The
Legislature, even as it now is, could order all dingy
Manufacturing Towns to cease from their soot and darkness; to
let in the blessed sunlight, the blue of Heaven, and become clear
and clean; to burn their coal-smoke, namely, and make flame of
it. Baths, free air, a wholesome temperature, ceilings twenty
feet high, might be ordained by Act of Parliament, in all
establishments licensed as Mills. There are such Mills already
extant;--honour to the builders of them! The Legislature can say
to others: Go ye and do likewise; better if you can.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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