Notes on "Evidence Given Before the Sadler Committe"

“Evidence Given Before the Sadler Committee.” http://www.victorianweb.org/history/workers1.html

· “At what age did you first go to work in one [a factory]?
--Eight”
This is scary. I couldn’t imagine working in a factory when I was 8. When you’re a kid you shouldn’t have to worry about finding a job. You should worry about what game you’re going to play next and what color you’re going to color your picture.

· “When trade was brisk what were your hours?
--From 5 in the morning to 9 in the evening.”
16 hours of work a day is terrible. Noone, adult or child, should have to work 16 hours a day. Especially in a factory. Just like slavery, no one thought this was wrong.

· “What was the consequence if you had been too late?
--I was most commonly beaten.
Severely?
--Very severely, I thought.”
Being beaten for showing up late is quite an interesting leadership technique. I can't imagine being 8 years old in a factory and then being beaten if I show up late. Children shouldn't have had to worry about being late for work because they didn't want to get beaten.

· “What time did you begin to work at a factory?
--When I was six years old.”
This quite came from a little girl. I don't understand how noone thought this was wrong. 6 year olds shouldn't be anywhere near a factory. I can't imagine how these kids dealt with their work.

· “What time was allowed for your meals?
--Forty minutes at noon.”
To be honest, this could be a lot worse. It's barely enough time to eat all of your meals for a day, but I'm sure the bosses could have given even less time than this.