The Washington herald., 1912-10-05
is a RAPID
GROWING EVIL IN EUROPE

Not only in England, but also IN France
and America. the police authorities are
confronted with q rapidiy-srowing evil
with which they scarcely know how to
deal. Gambling dens-usually luxurious
fiets-are springing up In all directions.
In London and Paris, and Thousands OF
pounds change hands at single sittings.
1t was not long ago that, at q West End
the turf lost 1000 pounds at baccaret
at one sitting. while In one week q we'll
known peer is said, to have lost 15.ooo
pounds.
1t Is no uncommon thing for society
women 10 lose 500 to 1000 pounds In one
day. Indeed. the gambling fever among
Q certain section OF the smart set Ia SO
strong that they have no interest In any
thing else. Now and again. Of course.
we hear that the police have raided one
OF these dens and heavy fine IL imposed
on the proprietor, who pays cheerfully
and willingly. for the fine represents but
the smallest fraction OF the profit he
makes. And soon he sets up another
fiat In some other district.
A profit Of roo pounds a week il not
at all unusual and II IL estimated that
the "croupier' of one gambling resort
in the West End made no less than
fvvsuuV pounub IN u very bnOft tifnoI Anc
usual plan Is for the proprietor Of the
fiat. In consideration Of permitting
gambling to take place on his premises
and accepting all risks. to receive COM
mission on the money won during the
evening. and II Is the usual thing for
him to receive 800 or 800 pounds commits
sion for a single sitting.
In France the state. In order to limit
gambling as much as possible. recognizes
about l5o gambling houses and keeps
them more or less under surveillance;
but II is estimated by the police that at
than 1000 gambling houses conducted IN
France in defiance Of the law. and that
Paris has between 900 and 300 illegal
clubs where play for high stakes goes
on all night. Some idea of the profits
Of these gambling dens may be gath
cred from the fact that the profits of
the houses recognized by the state
amounted last year to 100000 pounds.
The Illegal gambling clubs In France
are mostly run by ne'er-do-wells. who
manage to keep out OF the clutches Of
the police by staying in the background
while the den is run by a subordinate,
who. OF course, gets a good share Of the
profits. Some of these men make colos-
sal fortunes. : Three brothers-one
coachman, the second q cook, and the
third a groom-after running a gambling
den for some years. retired with e.. 500. 900
between them, while another proprietor,
who began life as a small shopkeeper.
makes. II is estimated. 100000 every
year. his fortune being estimated at the
present time at close upon E20oo 900.
Amazing figures, indeed, but they are
easily understood when II Is mentioned
that II is no uncommon thing for the
fair Parisienne TO gamble to the extsnt
OF $1,000 a week and come back with
more when that amount has found Its
way into the pockets Of the croupier.
I spoke some time ago OF the unclassi-
cal volume Of hair required by the So
called classical coiffures now so modish-
Ten years ago 10000 kilos Of false hair
were imported into France to meet the
demands OF the coineurs. In the last
twelve months the official returns state
that It has risen to sT4.ss0 kilos. The
market apparently is not glutted. Most
of this hair comes from China and
Japan. The members OF the far Eastern
embassies-Siamese, Chinese, and Japan
ese-wore either long tails or knobs or
coils OF hair tightly twisted on the tops
of their heads. All this has disappeared.
The pigtaiis were sacrificed to republican
progress in China and the knobs or coils
to military progress in Japan. In the
low-down ''couche sociale" the old way
of wearing hair remained But !atterly
the regimental cut is everywhere fol-
lowed by men and boys. Boys hair Is
finer than that Of adults.
The women OF all ranks (are they not
riehtD cling to the old-fashioned style.
which so well suits them. A kilo Is a
trifie more than two English pounds.
One need not be a poor arithmetician
TO see how considerably the imported
false hair now exceeds in the course OF
twelve months a million pounds weight.