Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-03
Creche in Horse Trough
as Mothers Drink Beer
cclaI Correspondence Of The slsr.


LONDON. June ~. 1910.
WI HEN parliament passed the chill
w drens act. which, among other
things. prohibits children from be-
ing taken into saloons by their parents.
and young persons under sixteen from
smoking cigarettes. it was thought that
way had been found for dealing with
two great evils which sffiict this coun-
try. The act has been in force for some
months and many magistrates AMI per-
sons who are interested in the welfare OF
the people declare that the last state o.
the youth of England is worse than the
first.
There are few laws through which. a.
Dan OConnell said, one cannot drive
coach and horses. and this seems 10 be A
law with a big gateway, indeed. The en-
terprising London publican has already
made II not only dead letter. but
farce. The day after the law went inio
effect one saloon keeper in a London sub
urb. whose ho4se Is a favortte resort for
Cockneys on Sundays and holidays.
cleaned out an old horse trough. hlled
il with clean straw and labeled Il
'creche. A small hoy was placed in
charge and mothers were invited Ia leave
their babies in IL while they refreshed
themselves. few hours after the 'creche
began business there was a fight in front
OF the saloon between two intoxicated
j mothers. who could not agree on the
ownership Of a baby. The boy, who in
the best of circumstances would not have
been an ideal nurse. neglected his duties
and soon there was a mix-up OF scream
ing infants. which had finally to be sorted
out and comforted by the mothers, who
were driven out of the house by the pub
lican for fear the row would attract the
attention of the police
Another publican, wiser than the first.
assigned one OF his barmaids to the duty
of caring for the infants in separate
room. but while the children were prob
with their mothers. one object of the law.
which was to keep the women from
drinking. was defeated.
While passing along the old Kent road
the other day persons saw an infant OF
about eighteen months tied with a piece
of rope to lamp post, and screaming
Justify. policeman was trying to COM
| fort il by allowing II 10 play with his
| whistle. The question ives asked what
was the matter.
blooming shame / call It, the police
man replied. The poor little kids moth
| ersis In the pub and she leaves It here.
Can't take 1t in with her now. YOU know.
| but she must have her beer. she ties
! and he pointed to a row of half a dozen
older children sitting on the edge of the
| sidewalk with their feet In the gutter,
waiting for their mothers TO emerge from
saw a number of women sitting on the
sidewalk drinking beer which they had
brought from the bar, and nursing their
children at the same time.
man who keeps a. muSsel and Whelk
| shop on the Euston road has taken ad-
| vantage Of the law to turn an honest
penny He has posted q notice In his
| shop that he will fetch beer from the
| pub next door for any one with children
who pays him cents, but IL they buy
| his goods he will fetch the beer for moth
| ing.
| Paul Taylor, a London magistrate. com
! mented severely the other day on the
state of affairs produced by the new law.
| He had a number Of women before him
| who were charged with fighting outside
| a saloon, and the policeman told him
| fights like this since the passing of the
| children's act. The women took their
| beer to the street, got drunk and fought.
| and, being outside the premises, the pub
| lican did not exert himself to keep order,
| as he was bound to do If they were in
| his house. The magistrate declared that
| it was questionable whether the act has
| been of any service to the cause of tenn
perance, and declared that he was dis
| posed to think, from the cases that had
come before him, that it had done more
harm than good
The prohibition of cigarette smoking by
| boys has been a godsend to large num-
Der OF lads who are just over sixteen.
They now get their cigarettes for nothing
by acting as purchasers on commission
| for smaller boys 10 whom the tobacconists
dare not sell. The usual commission is
two cigarettes from each package of ten.
and II is paid willingly by the city office
boy to whom his weeds have become q
necessity.