R.
W. Cooke-Taylor, the author of The Factory System was also
an Inspector of Factories. In his book he explained the 1874 Factory
Act.
The
textile operatives, besides being the first to benefit by factory
laws, had by this time become a well-organised body outside their
sphere, they had evolved a powerful and well disciplined trade union
to represent their interests. The success of the agitation was shown
by the passing of the Factory Act 1874 which took half-an-hour a day
off textile factories alone, leaving all others still subject to the
settlement of 1850.
