Facsimile PDF - Online Library of Liberty

J 74
METHQDS OF SOCZAL REFORM
tho factory. Moreover, lists of the women fined, or otherwise
known to have broken the law, might be sent to the employers
of each town or district, by the factory inspcctors, the employer
being thon finable if he ongages o woman whose name appears
in tho list. A woman giving a false name or :ddre.ss should
bo more severely punished.
The conduct of the requisite impaction and prosecution
cannot possibly be left to tho ordinary pOliC0. All experience
seems to show thnt, in our modern complicated society, thero
must bo diffcrcntintion of functions-that is to say, a special
duty must bo performed by a special oificer. As, however, the
present fact,ory inspectors and sub-inspectors aro heavily
wcightcd ns it is, they cannot possibly underhke the proposed
ncw dutics, nor would tho appointtnent of a 1:wp numbor of
asvistu~lt inspcctors of any kind or rank bo readily acquiesced
in. The disconnection which now exists betmeen the Central
Govcrnmcnt in \Vllitehall and tho several police authorities,
ronclers any direct prosecution difficult or impossible. But I
vonturo to suggest that it would not bo unreasonable to
require by law that evory borough or district hnving its own
polico sllould bo required to assign one, two, or even three
police oflticcrs, as might bo required, to cnrry out the provisivns
of tho propowd lam, acting under tho directions of the
factory inspcctors. Already the polico perform a good many
spccial services, as in the inspcctiou of weights and measures,
stanitrrry inspection, supcrvision of ticket-of-leave meu, and so
forth. Now, I fancy that nn active police officer would soon
discover infractions in the law; for the carrying of infants
along t,hs public sheet to R nursing-house is a thing evident
to anybody, nnd the officer would only need to follow the
woman to tho factory, and he would have at once all the
evidenco needed. Probably thero would be little difficdty
in obtaining evidence ; for the operative classes would
receive the lam with gratitnde rather than aversion, partly
perhaps misled by falltwies already referred to, and partly
convinced by the ed results which are now before their
eyes. If SO, their concurrence and assistance in carrying