The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-05-19
DANCE HALL EVIL
LEADS TO SHAME
Many Girls Victims of ExpIoiters
in New York City

New York, May 1g.-Fiftcen t,ous-
and women of the under world. II
scafiet army no census has heretofore
ehumcrated-livc IN one borough of
greater New York alone. NThis Is the
estimate of the bureau of social nv
slchc' an organization of which John
~ Rockefeller, Jro is chairman. as
ilade public i'm an abstract of "A forth.
coming report by George j. Enpeland
Spocia! investigator, aftcr q pains-
tah!hg inquiry into comincrciaIjzaG
wee conditions in Manhattan extend
'hG over period of nearly tcl
months.
lhe report suggests no remedies
ilNcs NO responsibility That ,rrase
Is To be dealt with later on If pur-
ports merely to describe accurately
we" conditions in New York city
with fla" sole purpose of brncin:; out
the facts" The hope is expressed ,hat
subsequently satisfactory policy 20
check the evil may bc worked out.
Mr.. Rockefeller himself contributed
the foreword to the volume. Future
reports will deal with condition i'm
Other large cities in America and
WITH methods ana their results Of
combating he problem in Europe.
Existing preventive rcrormative and
corrective agencies in New York ore
described as wholly inadequate to
their task
Dance Hall Evils.
Aside from a series of Chap,vrs
dealing in minute rrankncss with the
operation Of notorious resorts
throughout the city. the report treats
of the dance hail evil ana of the
alarming spread of the su-callcd
ma3sage parlurS. over three hundred
Of these exist in the city," says the
report.
OF the dance halls the report says,
The pubic dance hall was found
to Justify the worst that has been said
of i. OF - dances reported ON only
five were characterized 10y the in"es.
tigators as decent Nor are these
dances attended only 10y hardened
pronigatcs. Young girls some inno-
cent others. Il not entirely inno-
cent at any rate not wholly de-
PRAYED. ana young men not yet al
together vicious. attcrd the gather
inSs in search of amusement AMI
change. Many are innocent working
girls, who seek legitimate recreation
Their sinister element u attendance
is the hired cadets, who attend with
the cold-bloodcd purpose of finding
new subjects of debauchcry and OF
exploitation FOR gain.
These agents of CommctCialized vice
are usually well dressed. nell man
ncrcd and introduce themselves po-
litcly aud easily To strangers. They
often pretend To love at first sight aud
exhibit marked devotion, by which
the girls are deceived and To which
they too often yield.
Victims Of Exploitcrs.
Mr. Knccland argues contrary II
the expressed ri"ws of so many IN
Vestigatine bodies, that girls do not
shame because of the pinch of pON-
crtN. He holds that orteucr they are
victims in their ignorance of the
agents ur commcrciali1cd vice.
1T Is idle" ne says, ito explain
away the phenomena on the ground
that they are the results of the NJ
evitablc weakness Of human nature
human weakness would demand far
fewer and less horribl" sacrifices !
bIost of the vrcrkago, aud the worst
Of il. Is due to persistent, cunning and
cNplOit2tiun; Ia the
banding together in infamous enter |
priScs Of madame, procurcr, brothcl-
keeper and liquor yendcr to carry IN
deliberately Il cold -bloodCd traffic for