was one which touched the women of the country very nearly, yet they were never consulted about it. Education, Temperance, Old Age Pensions, Feeding of School Children, Medical Inspection of School Children, Child Protection, Housing and Land Reform, Wages Boards, Factory and Mines Acts—these and a hundred other measures of reform enacted during the last few years concern the women of the country quite as intimately as the men. And the signs of the times are all in favour of an increase in this kind of legislation. It is unthinkable that Parliament can much longer continue to interfere with the special province of women in these ways without giving them equal rights with men to say whether such legislation is acceptable to them or not.
Not only has there been a remarkable change in the character of politics, but, during the same period, there has been an important change in the lives of women. The industrial revolution wrought this change, which has already been described in a previous chapter. More than five millions of girls and women are engaged in occupations of an industrial, professional, or commercial character in the United Kingdom. They have entered spheres formerly closed to them. They are the competitors of men in the world's labour market, seeking to earn their own living. Legislation is necessary for the protection of their labour
