OVERWORKED BOYS
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sm,—Mr. Butcher, the Liberal National Member for Holland- with-Boston, is to be congratulated upon his maiden speech in the Debate on the Address, in which he pleaded for the reduction of working hours for young people, in particular those employed in hotels and cinemas.
Recently, on arriving at a well-known London hotel shortly before midnight, I was surprised to find on duty a very tired page-boy aged 14, who told me that he was on night shift from 4 p.m. until 3 a.m. •
The Home Office has since informed me that, 1 e -cause this boy's employment is not subject to the Shops Act, 1934, " there appears to be no statutory regulation of the hours and conditions of his employment which,- however, falls within the recommendations made in the Report of the Departmental Committee on the Hours of Employment of Young Persons in Certain Unregulated Occupations."
May I urge that, in view of the National Health Campaign, the Government should act on this Report ? Children in unregulated occupations are unlikely to derive much benefit from the measures now being taken to improve the physique of young people, so long as they are denied the normal hours for recreation and sleep.—Yours faithfully,
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