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.