Evening star., 1896-04-14
THE PROBLEM IN GENEVA
How tie Ancient City Dea!s With the
Social Evil.
In a Popular Vote 1t Is Decided That
Municipal Supervision is the
Best Solution.

Just at this time, Wnen so much atten-
tion is being paid to the crusade against
the Division in this city, consideration
Of the methods which other cities follow
in treating the social evil is Of interest.
letter has just been received in this
city from a prominent American, resident
in Geneva, Switzerland. describing a popu-
lar election recently held in that city to
determine the question of municipal super
vision and control of all houses of ill-fame
By vote of two to one the people de-
cided that the licensing system in vogue
there should be retained. The letter, or SC
much Of IT as relates to this particular
matter, is as follows:
I'm the city and canton of Geneva, last
Sunday, March 22d, a most interesting. eX.
citing and unusual election was held
Geneva Is the only city in Switzerland
and one of the few out Of France in Eu-
rope in which houses of prostitution are
regularly licensed and controlled by the
state. In the city of Geneva and it's en-
vironments there are eighteen establish.
ments of this character whose inmates
number about eighty women, the majority
of whom are under the age Of twenty-five
years. The directresses, and. in some in
stances. the directors, of these establish
ments pay both cartonal and municipal
tax, amounting in all for the various horses
to about 10000 francs a year. The pay
ment Of this tax authorizes the establish
" DS unCeF certain DOllce
restrictions, which includes hygienic es-
piona6e by medical representatives of the
city and canton, and the revenue derived
from the licenses is devoted by the state to
purposes of public charity.
An Anti-Division League.
Some six months ago a league or COM
mittee Of fifty citizens was formed, with
an eye 10 the suppression of prostitution
in public houses, and since that time un-
til last Sunday, March D. a most exciting
and unusual campaign was conducted by
the committee, and the several journals
which favored the proposition. as well as
by these who opposed it. Pamphlets pro
ard con were distributed broadcast and
for the first time in the history of Geneva
there was resort to bitter personalities
In the public prints. Those who favored
the proposition, many of whom were per-
sons of prominence, reproached the can
tonal government with the so-called shame
of engaging In the business of protecting
and virtually operating houses of prosti-
tuition. Those who, defended the govern
ment and opposed the proposition declared
tnat the social evil was a social necessity,
and contended that in confining it to houses
under police protection and espionage the
practical and sensible ends of decency were
more satisfactorily served than any other
human conditions could accomplish.
Many of the people and some Of their
journals resented the action of the COM
mittee and its friends, whom they styled
'moniers.' meaning thereby 'canting hum
bugs as an intrusion upon their rights
and as an insult to the city, the canton
and the government.
The Proposition Voted Down.
Under the law Of Initiative the aues-
ton was submitted last Sunday, March
%. to vote Of the people, and the result
was an overwhelming majority in favor OF
the government against the proposition.
THUS the establishments will still be
conducted under licensed protection. OF
the 1900 persons who voted at the popu-
lar election, 1000 voted for, and 5000
against the proposition to abolish.
I'm view of the fact that New York city
legislators are. as 1 am advised, about 70
introduce measure providing for the
licensing of disorderly houses in that me-
tropolis, this practical treatment of the
question by one of the oldest and most en-
llghtened communities in the world may be
significantly interesting
1T should perhaps be stated that the
most effective argument of those who op-
posed the proposition was that the closing
OF the houses would only result in putting
their occupants in the streets among hon
est women"