The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-23
WHIPPING POST
AS CHECK TO VICE
It's Use Is Advocated at Meeting
Held in Washing
ton.
BACHELOR TAX PROPOSED
President Wilson Considers Re-
quest to Call Conference OF
Governors.
BACHELOR TAX PROPOSED

Washington, March 22.-'The whip
ping post for white slave traTickers
and hetrayers OF women. tax upon
bachelorhood. more careful training of
children and abolition of JOY rides and
remedies for the social evil at hear
ing here to-day. conducted by the IL
linois senatorial Vice Commission.
which came to Washington primarily
10 interest President Wilson in ma
ton wide vice crusade
The commission secured the prom
Use OF President Wilson to consider the
request for him to call a conference Of
Governors and representatives OF vice
commissions from various States to
study the social problem. the confer
ence to be held in Washington as soon
as practicable. ConEressman Robert
Hill. of Illinois. agreed upon request
OF the committee. to introduce in Con-
gress bill creating a commission to
look into vice conditions in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Low Wage Question Diacussed.
At the hearing. attended by many
prominent women and men interested
in social welfare work. the low wage
question as cause OF girls going
wrong was discussed Several OF the
witnesses deriving the idea. declared
that lack OF education and resisting
force had much moro TO do with the
downfall of women. Men, too. were
blamed as primarily responsible for
the degradation of girls.
Witnesses who declared that low
wages were not responsible for social
vice admitted. however. on being oues-
toned by Lieutenant Governor OHara
head Of the commission, that higher
wages for working girls would better
equip them to resist evil, and all rec
commended that a minimum wage law
for girls would be of great benefit
Eight dollars week as a minimum
wage Tor women was the generally ac-
copied sum estimated by the witnesses
Mrs. Harvey ". Wiley wife of the
former Chief of the Bureau OF chem
istry. was one who proposed that sum
as minimum living wage for girls
Mrs Wiley advocated sex hygiene
Instruction OF the young as one of the
basic remedies for the social evil, and
urged women police for cities and en-
franchisement of women.
Give us the franchise" she said
ana we VIII raise the age OF consent
so that twelve ear-old girls cannot
have their bodies given away"
MIS-. Wiley and other witnesses also
declared that employers OF underpaid
girls and women had not the moral
right TO give money to charities out
| or the earnings of their Enterprises
until they first had incrca sed the wages
/ of their employees.
Encourages Early Marriages.
/ DR. w. G. Woodward. health officer
OF the District OF Columbia urged the
I encouragement of early marriage
among young men as one of the rem
enles Tor the social evil. and he placed
/ the responsibility for the downfall of
! 30 per cent of women directly AT the
door OF the men, rather than in the
counting room. the department store or
factory. lie approved a suggestion by
state senator Bcall of Illinois, OF laws
graduated tax between the ages of
/ twenty-four and thirty-two. providine
that All men over thirty-two years OF
age should pay an annual tax of 800
as long az they remained Unmarried
/ Or Woodward presented some as
'onishing statistics. shown i'm hos
pitai records of patients received for
! AL causes
| Dr. Woodward gave statistics show
J ing mat 10 per cent of all the recorded
births in the District OF Columbia last
year were illegitimate. the mothers be
ing between thirteen and twenty years
OF age III the majority Of cass
ROBERT Barrett speak ing for his
mother. Kate Waller Barrett. head OF
the Florence crittenton homes for
I girls throughout the country, took Wig
orous issue with the commission on the
matte rof low wages as :, cause of vice
as did also Mrs. Adolph Kahn OF Wash
inston.
Mr.. Barrett said that the Florence
| Crlttenton homes had cared for more
/ than 10000 maynard girls throughout
! the country, and information from
! these girls showed that low wages was
the least OF the causes Of immortality
we believe il is not right or fair
! To say. Mr.. Barrett declared. that
low wage is the real reason for vice
! There arc more society girls. girls from
good homes. with fathers and mothers
able to provide for them amply. who
| have fallen into vice and come TO be
! inmates OF the Florence Crttnton