WORKING CONDITIONS IN FACTORIES. 59 
system of humidification employed, and here there has been an encour: 
aging improvement in recent years. Some of the cotton mills which 
we visited are, in the hot weather, much pleasanter than the outside 
atmosphere and we understand that those employers who have spent large 
sums in installing the best cooling and humidifying plants have had 
gratifying results in production. This improvement has followed, and 18 
to some extent traceable to, the investigation conducted for the Govern- 
ment of India by Mr Maloney. The main object of the enquiry was to 
devise a reasonable method of controlling the use of humidification, and 
Mr Maloney suggested a basis, which is being gradually, if slowly, adopt- 
ed. We received no serious criticism of the solution suggested in the 
report, and we consider that rigorous action should be taken against 
those factories where conditions are worst. Side by side with the ad- 
vanced mills, there are others where the atmosphere in the weaving sheds 
is almost unendurable, even in the cold weather. There is no justifica- 
tion, except possibly defects in the law, for permitting the continuance of 
the conditions that prevail in the worst sheds. It was suggested to us 
in Bombay that the provisions of the Factories Act are not sufficiently 
elastic to permit of the framing of all the rules that are desirable. This 
point deserves attention. In particular we note that section 9 appears to 
contemplate only the prevention of practices definitely injurious to 
health ; it should also protect the operative from serious discomfort. even 
where injury to health is not a necessary result. 
II. SAFETY. 
Reporting of Accidents. 
The following table gives the results of the reported accidents in 
all factories subject to the Factories Act since the definition of “ factory’ 
was widened in 19292. 
No. of persons injured. 
Year. 
Fatal. 
Serious. 
Minor. 
1922 
191 
197 
284 
1.207 
5.562 
1923 
1924 
1925 
1996 
1,333 
1.680 
5,007 
8.055 
263 
270 
2,181 
2155 
9,901 
11.441 
1927 242 
1928 | 9264 | 3.494 | 
lo29 . = 240 
12.066 
12.590 
15.579 
Total. 
6.960 
7.037 
10,029 ! 
12,645 
14.866 
15,711 
16,348 
20.908 
No. of persons injured per 100,000 
emnloyees, 
Fatal. 
Serious. 
Minor. 
Total. 
14 
80 | 409 
91' 301 
118 ' 565 
166 662 
908 | 753 
922 
230 | 
"a2 
499 
703 
846 
979 
1,025 
1,075 
1.301 
17" 
20! 
18 
~g 
1 
7 
ro 
083 | 
1.003 
The table brings out the fact that the proportion . accidents to operatives 
which, prior to 1922. had shown only small fluctuations for a generation,