t with the diminished
influence of the home, and the demoralizing effects that were supposed
to result from factory labor, ignorance and vice alike would continue
to be its certain accompaniments, unless the age at which regular work
was begun should be limited, and the number of hours of labor of young
persons restricted. Thirdly, it was claimed that there was danger of
the physical degeneracy of the factory population. Certain diseases,
especially of the joints and limbs, were discovered to be very
prevalent in the factory districts. Children who began work so early
in life and were subjected to such long hours of labor did not grow so
rapidly, nor reach their full stature, nor retain their vigor so late
in life, as did the population outside of the factories. Therefore,
for the very physical preservation of the race, it was declared to be
necessary to regulate the conditions of factory labor.

On the other hand, apart from denials as to the facts of the case,
there were several distinct arguments used against the adoption of
factory laws. In the first place, in the interests of the
manufacturers, such laws were opposed as an unjust interference with
their business, an unnecessary and burdensome obstacle to their
success, and a threat of ruin to a class who by giving employment to
so many laborers and furnishing so much of the material for commerce
were of the greatest advantage to the country. Secondly, from a
somewhat broader point of view, it was declared that if such laws were
adopted England would no longer be able to compete with other
countries and would lose her preeminence in manufactures. The factory
system was being introduced into France, Belgium, the United States,
and other countries, and in none of these was there any legal
restriction on the hours of labor or the age of the employees. If
English manufacturers were forced to reduce the length of the day in
which production was carried on, they could not produce as cheaply as
these other countries, and English exports would decrease. This would
reduce the national prosperity and be especially hard on the working
classes themselves, as many would necessarily be thrown out of work.
Thirdly, as a matter of principle it was argued that the policy of
government regulation had been tried and found wanting, that after
centuries of existence it had been deliberately given up, and should
not be reintroduced. Laws restricting hours would interfere with the
freedo