New-York tribune., 1911-03-01
REPORT ON PAGE LAW OUT
No Black Eye for Its Physical
Examination Feature.
CALL CONDITIONS WRETCHE0
Woman's Municipal League In
vestigators Detail Workings
of the Measure.

VI VIC MCoo VI O.
League on the workings OF the much
discussed Clause 10 OF the Page Law is
out. end II isn't going to please the women
who called meetings last fail TO object to
the clause.
While no argument Is made either for
or against the clause. the statements OF
the investigators employed by the league
appear TO upset almost every contention
of those who think the physical examina-
tion of women Of the street a bad thing.
The objectors hold that these women
have sensiblities. which are injured by the
examination. II the leagues investigators
are right. these senslbilites are not acute.
The moral aspect Of their method OF gain
ing a livelihood is nCn-eXistent to them:
II Is a business. n hard one, one that
means a deal OF tramping about in nil
sorts of weather; not profitable business
in most cases in spite Of the public's no
tions TO the contrary.
But IL Is thelI business. and when they
rebel against the examination they rebel
according to the report because they fear
that hospital sentence OF two or three
months" will follow. and that is too long
away from business.
Two women who made scenes in the
courtroom Dragged to the others Of hav
ing deliberately done so to start some
thing One. a hospital case fat Jewess.
kept UP her screams for half hour. and
said later that 1t was because she could
not stand it to stay in one place as lcnc
as two months" This girl was gay and
impudent" when transferred to the ambu-
lance an hour later
Good the Law Has Dene.
Court conditions, the report SAYS are i'm
mensely improved by the new law. Where
formerly confusion and disorder ruled with
spectators. lawyers. reporters crowded
about the judges desk and the women pris-
oners in the open pen smoking and calling
TO passersby when they chose. AL is now
quiet. clean. digniied and decent The ef-
feet on the prisoners is noteworthy; they
are subdued and quiet"
But the law has one deplorable develop
ment the temperance OF the unscrupu-
lous lawyer In the soliciting cases. ON
this point the report says:
LAS the rule Of the magistrates is now
TO sentence to the workhouse Instead Of the
missal, the prostitutes turn TO the lawyers
in spite OF warnings by the Judges, attend
ants. wardens and matrons. They
pay s2j to so for services which do no
good
One discouraginG sociological point
brought odt by this report is that the
family often knowingly shares In the pro-
ceeds Of the daughter gone astray:
Economic reasons all tend to a gradual
weakening Of moral feeling on the part
Of the family
investigations of the homes from which
these girls and women come only causes
astorlshment that many more do not turn
to this means of A livelihood. The home
surroundings are In many cases intoler-
able"
Not Fit for Any Labor.
Wretched conditions have produce1
crop Of girls "of arrested mental and physi-
cal development" They are unequal 10
even the lowest grade OF unskilled labor
certainly worthless for housework; and
their unfitness tor marriage 'is apparent
even TO the class Of men they know.
But they are equal to one means of get
ting a livelihood, and with this made as
safe, cheap and easy as 1t is in New YORK,
the younger men of the class of these girls
are much less apt TO turn 10 marriage"
small percentage of these women, the
report says. "are physically or mentally
equal to regeneration. With such material,
the only hope for permanent reform IS 10
furnish equipment 10 earn a living, ana II
is very doubtful II any Of the methods In
use do much permanent good. PreNeHta-
tive measures are the only hope, and one
OF the most hopeful and chief means is TO
be found IN complete regeneration OF
educational systems
One sentence the report prints In italics:
There is no question that needs the at
tention Of women more than the reform OF
the whole system Of punishment OF women
convicted through the minor courts
Mrs Barclay Hazard was chairman or
the committee IN charge OF the investiga-
tion which also included Mrs. Edward X.
Hewett president Of the league. and Mrs.
NJ Clinton Backus. Mrs. Julius Henry
Cohen. Mrs Arthur NJ. Dodge, Mrs. Nelson
II Henry, Mrs. William NJ. Jackson. Mrs.
Alice Foote MacDougall, Mrs. Gilbert Mon
tague Mrs. Frederic b, Pratt. Mrs Henry
SeIignan. Mrs. John G. Tappin and Mrs.
Henry A. StimSOn