with respect to building, which need to be looked to in the
first instance; and then the results of them remain for ever afterwards a
great gain to public health and morals. I am speaking now rather of the
question of annoyance, than of loss, from legislative interference. Of
course, in this matter of building, it is easy to perceive that limits
must carefully be put to the extent of interference with a view to
keeping down the expense. If this is not done, the whole purpose of the
regulations may be defeated. But even in this, it is possible to be too
nice with respect to interfering with what are called the rights of
property, or too much afraid of creating an artificial dearness by
regulations, many of which will in the end be found to be a great saving.

But to resume the subject of the Mill. Each branch of manufactures has
its peculiar dangers and disadvantages; and it behoves the master to be
frequently directing his attention to remedy the peculiar evils of his
manufacture. He is to be the pioneer to find out for his men ways of
avoiding these evils. It cannot be his duty to study only how to make
his fabric cheaper, and not to take any pains to see how it can be made
to cost less of human life. However, if a man has once got a just view
of his position as an employer of labour, he will not need to be urged in
this matter, but must see at once that the health of his men is one of
the first things for him to look to. What would you think of a commander
who was careless of the health of his army, merely because he had an
indefinite power of recruiting? In a thickly-peopled country like this,
an employer of labour, if his work does not require much skill, can
generally get any number of men to serve him, which would be a strange
reason, however, for making the health of anyone amongst those whom he
does employ less precious in his eyes. Human labour may be ever so
abundant, but human life cannot be cheap.

While we are talking of the Mill, it may be well to observe that the
system of piecework, when it is done by a man with children under him, is
likely to be made too severe work for them. It is a hard fate, indeed,
for children to be always under the eye of one whose interest it is to
get as much work out of them as possible. The above remarks, however,
apply even more to piece-work done at home than at the mill.

The next thing to be mentioned in connexion with the Mill is the time of
labour. This