New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-15
SHOP GIRLS MORAL,
VICE PROBERS FIND
Committee of Fourteen, in
Report, Denies Stores
Tend to Evil Life.
CONDITIONS IN CITY
SHOW IMPROVEMENT
But Evil In Apartment Houses
Is Growing and Law Needs
Clear Interpretation.

The Committee % Fourteen. in its
annual report on vice conditions IN the
city. admits that there is still.room for
improvement, but insists that the town
is growing better, and enforces IT'S
statement with statistics. II has MADE
a special study Of department store
conditions in relation to the morals OF
shop girls. The report, issued yester-
dav. states that investigation Of a rep
resentative store, that OF R. II. Macy
4 Co.. shows no such alarming eondi-
lions among shop girls as has been
alleged In various magazine articles.
In its consideration Of the moral
status Of the employees Of r. Il. Macy
& Co. the committee was substantially
assisted by the proprietors Of the store
who allowed II TO investigate every
pbsse Of the business Of the store. and
also engaged three women, chosen by
the committee. so that impressions OF
The shopgirl might be gathered at hrs'
hand.
In rs conclusions, drawn from the
data thus gained, the committee states
that. as far as IL has been able 10 oe.
,errn;ne. the moral point OF view OF
The Young woman in q department store
comedies with the outlook OF norma,
Girls toward sex relations. ~ louhu
that loose talk abounded, but Attributes
that 20 upbringing, and suggests thaI
this can be remedied only through the
influence OF home and church.
Condeuns Long Standing.
Too much standing, bad ventilation
and monotony Of employment, II points
out. do undoubtedly increase the moral
dangers Of a shop girl outside hours
Inside the store itself the committee
could find no indication Of immortality.
Of the three Investigators employed
not .one OF them reported any lncon-
venience or noticed anything. out Of the
way in the whole course OF her term
Of service.
The Committee Of Fourteen believes
that there is general tendency on
the part Of New York department
stores TO establish and maintain con
ditions among their employees when
will insure morality.
On the general subject Of prostitu-
ton, the committee finds that the num-
nor Of arrangements before the wom-
,n's court for soliciting or lettering
has decreased a full third in the last
wear. The number OF arrests for vlo-
iation of the law against prostitution
in tenement houses shows an increase
of 100 per cent, due, II is beheVed' 70
the scattering Of the tenants OF the olG
disordcrly houses TO the residential
districts. The arrests under the tene-
ment law numbered 1,O99 and 932 con-
victions were obtained.
Notorious Resorts Gone.
Cooperation with the brewing inter
csts resulted in forcing out OF business
a number Of saloons Of questionable
character. Thirty Of these have been
obliged TO close within the last twelve
months.
In pointing out the great strides
which New York has made toward
remedying the social evil, the report
compares the conditions Of vice in this
city in 1905 with those Of to-day.
"The Flea Bag" Niger Mixes"
and other notorious saloons of this
type, which infested the Bowery ten
years ago. have been driven entirely
out Of being.
Thesis, Wulfer's and Sharkey's sa
looms on Fourteenth Street. at one time
three of the greatest markets for
women" this city ever knew, are no
longer doing business. The citadel of
prostitution in New York, the Hay
market" has now been closed for more
than year, and "the German Village"
and numerous houses on Sixth Avenue
are now shut up.
In Harlem the institutions on Second
and Third avenues have been closed
and determined efforts have been made
10 improve moral conditions among the
negroes, both there and in the lower
part Of the city.
Even Coney Island has been reno
waited and purified.
Found No POISONED Needle"
The "poison needle" excitement was
investigated After a study of the
cases OF number Of the so-called "vic-
Tins" the committee reached the con-
clusion that there is probably no foun-
dation for the stories and that they
were largely due TO the hysterical
state of the public mind, which had its
attention excited on the subject of sex
and dangers 10 women through their
use in literature and on the stage.
At the conclusion of the report is
set forth legislative programme
which the committee believes 10 be
necessary for the further betterment
Of conditions.
The committee says IL intends dur
ing the coming year 20 press the cam
paign against the male offender in
prostitution with especial vigor, and is
determined 20 fix the responsibility of
those owning and operating property,
50 that IL may not be available hence
forth for the commercializatiOn Of vice.
Ayiators Found Exhausted.