Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/193

 FACTORY LEGISLATION FOR WOMEN IN CANADA 179

3. Proper ventilation must be provided.

4. Suitable and separate closets and other conveniences must be provided for the sexes.

The text of the foregoing may be found in the Ontario Factories' Act, sees. 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 28. (47 Vict., chap. 39, as amended by 50 Vict., chap. 35 ; 52 Vict., chap. 43 ; and 58 Vict., chap. 50.)

We also find general measures for protection against fire and dangerous machinery. In the inspector's report for 1896 there are 174 accidents reported, only seven of them being to women. Here, as in Quebec, this is owing to the kind of work in which women engage.

In Ontario laundries, bakeshops, and stores come under inspection, the last two by separate acts. This is certainly indicative of great progress in Ontario, as it gives us the most extensive legislation of the kind in America. But the force of inspectors is wholly inadequate. There are four inspectors for 32,151 establishments, with '266,716 workers, and only one woman to look after the interests of 35,317 women operatives.

In the western country the necessity for legislation has not been sufficient to attract attention.

From the above it would appear that a study of factory legis- lation for women in Canada simplifies itself into a study of the laws of Quebec and Ontario.

Summing up, we have the following table :

Provinces

Number of

female operatives

Number of inspectors

Number of

women inspectors

Number of

operatives to

one woman

inspector

1,488

5,318 7,191

35,317 1,401

25,916

53

4

8

I 2

Manitoba

Nova Scotia

3St3i7

12,958

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

Should we be satisfied with this condition ? The number of women workers is steadily increasing, and we have reason to believe that it will continue to increase. The provinces should