Sir John Cam Hobhouse and Richard Oastler on the Factory Bill of 1831

Poster for a Ten Hour Bill, 1833

(The following poster for a Ten Hour Bill is from a local committee in Pudsey. Local vicars often played important roles in factory reform committees. Pudsey Short Time Committee poster, 1836; in J. T. Ward, ed., The Factory System, Vol..II, Birth and Growth (New York: Barnes & Noble, 1970), pp. 129-131.)

THE FACTORY BILL Fellow Countrymen and Fellow Christians, You are respectfully invited to the Meeting, to be held on Thursday Evening next at Half-past Seven o'Clock, in the CHURCH Sunday-School Room, at Pudsey. The object of the Meeting is to secure TIME for Rest, and for play-[yes, for play]-for Fire side Improvement-for Domestic Improvement-for Literary Advancement by Evening Schools, and, above all, for Religious Instruction to all Factory Workers. The means we propose is, to prevent all Repeal of the present Act, until the Legislature will give us, instead of it, a good effective TEN HOURS' BILL. Are you a parent? Then you ought to come and speak a word, or at least hold up two hands, for those over-laboured and uninstructed youth that crowd the Mills. Are you an Overlooker? Then come and imitate those 80 Overlookers at Keighley, and those 156 Overlookers at Bradford, who have petitioned for a Ten Hours' Bill-They have done themselves great credit-they have shewn Christian benevolence, and good British Independence. Are you a Slubber? Why should you oppose a Ten Hours' Bill. You would be all the better for it. When Slubbers are in demand their wages rise, as well as the Children's-and when they throw each other out of work by working too long, then their wages fall. Is not Ten Hours long enough? What nonsense it is to cry out, "if you have only TEN Hours' work you must be content with TEN Hours' Wages"-that is with one sixth less. Let those who raise this silly cry first prove, that the Operatives now get, for twelve hours, such wages as they ought to have for twelve hours' work. That's the first thing to prove. The fact is they don't get their share of their own productions, and they never will get it, till they shorten time, and make Human Labour prizable and valuable. Restriction, so far, has raised wages, and will do so again. The longer you have worked, the less you have had in proportion. Are you an Employer? Surely you have tasted the good effects of the present Act. How steady has Trade been! How good have Profits been! And where are all the Prophecies about Ruin and Distress? So far then Restriction has proved a safe Experiment. But, Sir, is not TEN hours long enough for any MAN to work, and say nothing about Children? And would not your workpeople be able to learn their duty to you, as well as to God, much better if they gave over at six every night, and worked only Ten Hours? And then you yourself would have more time to learn your duty too, and to cultivate tile friendship of your servants. You and your people would be better friends. Perhaps you belong to that Class of Employers who are joined in Companies. That Class has happily increased of late, and nothing has increased them more, than the present Act, which has prevented night work, and the practice of 14 or 16 hours work, when trade was plentiful. Why, friends, you surely do not want, now that you have got up, to kick the ladder down? If this be your intention, it is to be hoped, that those who are expecting one day to be Masters as you are, will take care to keep the Ladder up, and to make it wider, by a Tell Hours' Bill. Don't you all know that if a slack trade comes, for one three Months, one half of the small Mill Masters, who are new beginners, will be smashed to pieces? And what then is to prevent a slack time? Nothing but shorter hours. Mills are increasing, and Machinery is extending rapidly on every side, and in twelve months from this time, if you do not lessen the hours of work, you will be in a bonny mess. YOU HAVE NO NEED TO WORK SO LONG FOR A GOOD LIVING. Work a reasonable time, and you will do well. Work and think. Work and improve your minds. Save TIME for this, and save Bodily and Mental Energies for this. Remember, ye are Men and not Brutes. Are you a Minister of the Gospel? Then imitate the Good Samaritan, and do not, like the Priest and the Levite, pass by on the other side. Perhaps you say the Advocates of the Ten Hours' Bill are not judicious-then do you come, Rev. Sir, and put us into a better way, we most respectfully intreat. We will respect your office, and hear your advice. Are you a Man? Then shew your nature, and sympathise with the sorrows and disadvantages of Childhood and Youth. WAS MAN ONLY MADE TO LABOUR? Are you a Woman? Then come to the Meeting: it is for all that have hearts to feel, and if you have not, you are not a Woman. "But I am a Factory Child". Then come Factory Children, we will make room for you-you are welcome, always welcome to THE FRIENDS OF THE TEN HOURS' BILL. April 9th 1836.