Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-08
Women, Babes in Arms,
Invade English Saloons
Special Correspondence of The Star.

LONDON, November %, 1907.
vvY OMEN are never seen drinking in
M saloons in America. If one en-
!" tered a public house-as saloons
are called here-and found no woman i'm
billing. he would regard it as an excep-
tional experience. During the hours when
the quenching of bibulous thirsts is pur-
sued with the greatest ardor, they fairly
swarm in the ''pubs''-in those of the
better as well as those of the lower class.
Most of them, too, are what are roughly
termed respectable women, to distinguish
them from the fallen sisterhood. And a
surprising number of them are accom-
panied by babies in arms or children.
That is one of the most shocking features
of England's national curse-drink. Gust
as the twig is bent the trees inclined"
A considerable section of the population
is bent in early infancy toward the pub
lie house.
The home office has been collecting in
formation about the frequenting of public
houses by women and children and the
report just published makes melancholy
reading. The evil is worst in London.
Twenty-thfee public houses in the metrop-
oils were kept under observation for
twelve hours a day on four days. During
that period 1t was found that no less than
39,351 women and 10. 146 children entered
them. OF the children many were infants
in arms. In the twelve months ended
April 80 last loss persons were arrested
for being drunk while in charge of chill
dren under seven years of age. OF these
220 were men and $50 women.
The chief constable of Birmingham says
that the practice among women of TAX
ing infants and young children into pub
Iio oil arT1
ing until late at night is general and very
extensive. He has seen women giving
infants a portion of their beer to drink
to make them sleepy and quiet. In the
lower quarters in Birmingham women
resort to the public house shortly after
10 o'clock in the morning in large num-
bers, when they are supposed to be doing
their shopping, and on these occasions
they take the younger children and in
fants. The same thing occurs late at
night, especially on Saturday night. Into
ten public houses, watched for portions
of sixteen days, 2,949 young children were
taken-many of them babies in arms.
The chief constable of Manchester re-
ports that in the large manufacturing
towns in the north Monday is the day
when women of the lower classes are
found in the public houses in the greatest
number They invariably" he adds,
take with them their infants, and, IL
their young children are not in attendance
at school, they also accompany the mother
to the public house. On many occasions
mothers have been seen to dip their
fingers in the intoxicating liquor and
by that means give an infant taste of it,
Reports from other big cities disclose an
equally deplorable state of affairs. And
yet the publication Of the home office
figures, sensational as they are, are
treated with apathy. No loud clamor has
arisen from any quarter for legislative
action that would put stop to it. One
influential London paper, discussing the
matter editorially, says: 1T is easier to
deplore the evil than to be sure of find
ing q remedy. Perhaps there is none
wholly adequate; none, that is. apart
from gradual Improvement in all social
conditions" a most melancholy conclu-
sion, surely. 1t is not the way Ameri-
cans would be content to treat such a
horrible state of affairs.