advantage in having warm, comfortable meals on the premises, if they should require it. Their appearance is clean and decent, and they seem to take a pride in keeping themselves so. On inquiry, I learned that most of them had been brought up under this firm, and may be said to know very little of the vice and wickedness generally prevailing in other English factories.
There are not many men employed in the spinning departments, but of wool-sorters and combers there are a great number, who enjoy comparatively good wages.
A surgeon, liberally paid, is provided by the firm; whose duty it is to go over the works daily, for the purpose of inspecting the health of the work people. Should this gentleman notice any one looking ill, he makes inquiry as to the cause, and if it be any thing requiring rest or medicine, he is ordered home immediately; or should any of the work people feel themselves sick, they apply to the surgeon and obtain timely advice and assistance. During the time they are off work, their wages are sent to them the same as if they were at work. To this part of their benevolent plan, the work people contribute a small weekly sum.
In a conversation with one of the partners of the firm, he said to me, "that, although they did all they could to make their work people comfortable, yet they were well aware their system was not what it ought to be. They were anxious to reduce the hours of labor to ten per day, if the other manufacturers would do the same; and until that took place, he did not see what other improvements could be made."
This establishment is conducted in a manner which reflects great credit on the firm, and affords a striking proof of what may be done by those manufacturers who feel disposed to improve the condition of their work people. It would give me great pleasure to be able to say,
