The Government tried to have the people thinking that everything was all right, and that the life conditions were better and better, especially by saying that there were less and less children employed. Furthermore, the Government also said that the working conditions in factories were easier because of machines. The excerpt also deals with the hypocrisy of the big instances, for example, the Conservative politicians and the High Church, who had big interests lying and keeping the people into ignorance. Eventually, it deals with the institutions and associations which help the workers at this time. But it is legit to wonder: What exactly the author reproached to the society of his time, and more precisely, what did he reproach to the Government? In this commentary, it will be shown first how Sir Edward Baines criticised the bad conditions of the factory workers. In a second time, his point of view about the industrialisation will be explained. And eventually, an explanation will be given to the hypocrisy of the big instances of the Government and their lies according to Sir …show more content…
“Injurious and oppressive”
- Lots of machines b. Unhealthy work
- Steam machines
- Can be injured by machines c. Industrialisation
- Easier work: less to do
- Need skilled workers II- Point of view about industrialisation
a. Increase unemployment
- Need skilled workers: all workers weren’t skilled
- Men replaced by machines b. Passive workers
- Less to do: work done by machines
- Just “to convey an article from one process to another” c. Easier work
- Hard work done by machines III- Criticism against hypocrisy and lies of the big instances
a. Lies about the better life conditions
- Some good arguments to valid the others: o Less children’s work o Easier work thanks to machines
- Some lies: o No better work conditions: dangerous, unhealthy o Unemployment increased b. Hypocrisy of the Government
- Serve its interests: o Government: to keep the monopole of Agriculture and Colonisation o High Church: to diminish the dissidence