The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-23
ADVOCATE SWEEPING
REFORMS TO STAMP
OUT THE SOCIAL EVIL
CONTINUED From Page orfe)

OUT THE SOCIAL EVIL
CONTINUED From Page One)
tween the ages of "a and %, providing that
all men over 80 years of age should pay
an annual tax of sloo as long as they re-
rained unmarried
DIR. Woodward presented some astonish-
ing statistics among them that so per cent
of the men, as shown in hospital records
of patients received for all causes, Were
disea sed and that 10 per cent were afflict-
ed with loathsome diseases
Unlawful Places said DIR. Woodward,
"arc the morasses from which these dis
eases come. State education is the best
means for eradicating these places.
Dr. Woodward gave statistics showing
that 10 per cent of all the recorded births
in the District of Columbia last year
were illegitimate, the mothers between 1S
and 20 years of age in the majority Of
cases.
Take Issue With Commission
Robert Barrett, speaking for his
mother, Kate Waller Barrett, head of the
Florence Chittenton Homes for Girls
throughout the country, took vigorous is
sue with the commission the matter
OF low ges as a cause of vice, as did
also Mrs. Adolph Kahn of Washington.
Mr.. Barrett said that the Florence Crit
tenton homes had cared for more than
10000 waywara girls throughout the cot,n-
try and information from these girls
showed that low wages was the least of
the causes of immortality.
I'VE believe 1t is. not right nor fair to
say Mr.. Barrett declared, that low
wage is the real reason for vice There
are more society girls, girls from good
homes with fathers and mothers able 10
provide for them amply who have fallen
into vice and come to be inmates of the
Florence Clittenton homes than wage
earning girls. Very few who come to our
homes blame low wages for their down
fall"
Ardeen Foster, international commits
sioner of the British federation for the
emancipa ton of sweated women and girls,
and white slavers. had conference with
Mr. OHara during the morning and ac-
companied the Illinois commission to the
" hte House
To Give Matter Thought
Urged to call conference of governors
and representatives of state vice COM
missions, President Wilson said he did
not believe he could grasp the. full gray
ity of the situation from the brief outline
given him. But IL you will leave with
me your recommendations and record of
your lnAeSI1SdIlDti, llt Sdlu. tdu dS-
sure you | viii give the matter serious
thought Senator JUL urged congress
sional appropria ton TO build homes for
girls in big industrial centers where
women travelling from state to state can
be cared for while seeking employment.
At a hearing Mr.. O'Hara made public
letter from Edith NJ Thomas, a Wash
ington society woman, who recommended
the abolshment of the society column of
the newspapers. If fashionable women
really wish to do something good. she
wrote they can accomplish much by
diseoura eing and doing away with the so.
ciety column and cheap personal write
Ups. | should not call the fashionable
woman's example cause of vice, but II
does enter into an important part of the
life of the masses beyond doubt. The
world influences is the work of simple
people who try to live by their own
means"
Stanley w. Finch. a special agent of the
department of justice, testified 1t was
estimated 25,00O men in the United States
were engaged in procuring women for
profligacy. In 80 per cent of cases of
fallen women he said. males primarily
We're at fault. He said until men could
be educated to appreciate the enormity
of offenses against society there would be
social problem regardless of the wage
question
ArQeen roster oil the zbllllsn 1eheIdlloll,
declared at the hearing that he had es.
tabIished through an investigation in a
certain city that at least 20 per cent of
omen falling did so because of starva-
ton wages
Mrs Archibald Hopkins, president of
the Women's Welfare association. said
she thought the loan shark evil had an
influence on immortality Education,
she thought was the essential thing TO
do Rannla n
day, she said. were very careless about
the care of their children.
Reaction Setting In
Il think one thing the matter, said
Mrs. Hopkins. lis the reaction that has
set in since we took down the bars of
propriety that existed in our mother $
day / think people today give their
children too much license. too much
liberty They don't know enough about
where they go. think the solution
rests largely in the home instead OF
the legislature.
I'VE don't hear much nowadays
about high principles, The home spirit
seems to be entirely changed
Mrs Adolph Kahn, president of the
Jewish Women's alliance, declared she
thought it unjust to have an inquiry
of this kind upon the working girl.
II think that girls who are not work :
ing girls quite as often go wrong DIS
working girls do" she said
II believe girls in Washington stores
are moral girls. think the training
of boys is the paramount thing, teach
ing them to respect their mothers and
sisters.
II think it Is a question of resis-
tance If girl is trained properly
until she is IS years old, | think she
will experience very little difficulty
afterward Very few girls go wrong
because they want fine clothes. 1t Is
because they are pursued and can't re-
sist.
II think it absolutely wrong to con-
meet vice with the question of wages.
If it should continue thus. girls might
demand unjust wages and then go on
strike. assert the threat that We will
all go wrong.''
Mrs. j. p. S. Neigh. matron of a
social settlement in Washington, de-
clared that Joy riding and ragtime
dancing" were a menace to girls.
ANY girl who does these things
she said, 'is playing with fire. In our
settlement we don't permit these
dances. We have had more trouble over
this with society girls who have come
- ~ boy,o m vnlunteer service"