is another bill dealing with the so-called welfare of the industrial or working classes which seems to promise to do more harm than good to the class which it is intended to benefit, It was introduced by Lord Avebury la the Upper House, and thie Commitee of Lords appointed to consider it have just sent in their report. The medical evidence of Sir Win. MacCormac, and Sir W. Selby Church has been taken, and they both agree that long hours in vitiated atmosphere are highly injurious, especially to women who are not full grown; this, of course, is true, but I thinl Lord Salisbury was wise when he pointed out that they (the Lords) should be careful in legislating for a very larve class of people to whom they do not belong. The main feature of the bill appears to be to empower local authorities, including urban or rural district councils, to close the shops of any particular-class at such hours, not earlier than seven, as they may determine, on the application of tirothirds of the shop-keepers of that class. Lord Salisbury by way of amendment sug: gested vesting ths power only with the Town Councils, and that only by appli. cation to Parliament er authority. amendment was carrier. In this matter it certainly seems as though trade combina. tion would be far simpler and more eflicacious than legislation, In large houses where numerous "hands" are employed should be possible by a slight addition to the stof to' allow every irl at least a couple of hours off duty every day. I understand that Spiers and Pond work on the pri ible of three hours on and three hours off with all their girl assistants, and one would think this system might in a modified form be applied to all shops where long hours are a necessity. Of course,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.