Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1913-06-14
VICE RUN BY TRUST
G. J. Kneeland Gives Secrets Of
White Slave Traffic.
"WeIl Kept Man Oeeked With Gems"
is Typical owner OF Resorts In
Gotham, Writer Asserts--5usI-
ness 10 Specialized.

New York.-Commercia OF
vice In New York city is described in
the first four studies OF the social evil
to be published by the New York bu-
reau OF social hygiene. The book, pub
lished by the Century company, is en-
titled "Commercialized Prostitution in
New York City" and Is written by
George ]. Kneeland, the chief investi-
gator OF the bureau. who was also the
chief OF the workers under the Chi
cago vice commission.
The report, which il introduced by
q foreword by John ID. Rockefeller.
Jr.. says $4,000 women of the under
world ply their trade In one borough
OF New York alone. 1t scores the low
dance hall as chief cause OF vice.
Poverty Is given a secondary place as
a cause. Mr. Kneeland holds that Of
tener women are victims In their ig-
horance OF the agents of commercial
ICED vice.
1T is idle" he says, ito explain
away the phenomena on the ground
that they are the results of the newt
able weakness OF human nature; hui
man weakness would demand far few.
er and less horrible Sacrifices.
Most of the wreckage and the
worse of 1t is due to persistent Gun.
ming and unprincipled explorations:
to the banding together in famous en-
terprises of madame, procurer. brothel
keeper and liquor vender to carry on
deliberately cold blooded traffic for
their joint profit, traffic, but It add.
ed. from which the girl involved pro.
cures at the most, with few excep.
tions. her bare subsistence, and that
only so long as she has trade
value" @
Prostitution has become a bust
ness" Mr.. Kneeland writes, 'the pro-
motors OF which continually scan the
field for a location favorable to their
operations, and the field is the entire
civilized world. No legitimate enter.
prise IL more shrewdly managed from
this point OF view; no variety of trade
adjusts itself more promptly to condi-
tons. transferring its activities from
one place to another as opportunities
contract here and expand there.
While keepers of houses are also
RAOSoOAoB NhOAC 10 . 6AOdP VI hACh WhC
devote themselves singly to this work.
These are the typical white slavers,'
whose trade depends entirely upon the
existence OF houses OF prostitution.
The cadet has not yet developed into
a professional procuer or keeper of
a house. He enters the business when
he either ruins young girl for his
future profit or becomes the lover and
protector of prostitute already in the
business.
"The women who run houses have,
as a rule, risen from the ranks. They
were once street walkers or parlor
house inmates, who possess unusual
business talents. They have learned
the secrets of the trade; they know
the kind of inmates to get and where
to get them. They know how to deal
with customers and how to make
them spend money.
For several years thirty 81 houses
of prostitution in the tenderloin have
been operated as a combine under the
direct control OF 15 or more men. The
individuals In question have been in
business for many years in New York
CAeJ - WCh 90 ~ OIhCA SAtACbs OOtn III
this country and abroad. They buy
and sell shares In these houses among
themselves. and 1t is seldom that an
outsider. unless he be relative. can
break into the circle and share in the
profits.
THE value of the shares depends
upon the ability of the owners to
maintain conditions in which the
houses, being unmolested, areN per
mitted to make large profits.
III composite photograph could be
made of typical owners of vice resorts
It would show large, we'll fed man,
about 40 years of age. and s feet 8
inches in height. His clothes are the
latest cut. loud in design. and careful
ly pressed A heavy watch chain
adorns his waistcoat, large diamond
sparkleB In fashy necktie, and his fat,
chubby fingers are encircled with gold
and diamond rings.