Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-28

n UNDERSTAND that the afternoon
i dansants are being dreadfully criticised
Just now, more especially in New York,
where a mother halIng her daughter into
court has brought the gay city face to
face with the problem-for problem It
assdredly appears to be.
Not only does the girl Of lower social
position require to have her amusements
investigated. but It transplres that the
middie-class girl Is also in need OF having
certain forms OF relaxation pruned down
a trine. At least so a certain wel-known
social worker informs us This lady has
worked tirelossly for the metaphorcal
cleaning up Of the hundreds and thou
sands Of dance halls for the working girl
which flourish like tho green bay tree all
over the country, although there is moth.
Ing at all green about them, unless II
Is the unfortunate ignorance displayed
by some of the country maldens newly
come to town who attend them.
This good woman has now directed her
sphere OF work to a higher circle OF So
ciety. where she feels there is nearly as
much call for her services. THE situa-
tion along Broadway today" she de-
clares, with few slight variations is
the same saloon-dance hall problem we
struggled with on the East Side, tricked
out in more respondent show. The pa
tronage of these afternoon dansants is
composed of girls of means who would |
never be allowed away from homo at
night In the afternoons they set forth |
on shopping excursions. The dansant is |
their destination. But the Broadway |
men the midde-class girl dances with at
these functions have their price, She
doesn't want to be a wall-hower. She
wants to look popular and she pays for It.
Her partner is hired as a dancing teacher
or professional partner, and the way is
opened for neeclng her.
Among those who attend the afternoon
dansants In New York is first and fore
most the young girl whose people are
unaware of her whereabouts. and who is
ostenslbly out on some shopping expedi-
tion. She has regular passion for th!S
form of diversion, and everything is GER
tainly made very attractive for her, even
to provision of the male partner. who
although she has to pay for his atten-
tions, is very presentable specimen
viewed from the outside, and who has
cultivated all the ballroom airs and
the susceptible maiden is willing to pro-
duce her dimlnutive purse and pay by
no manner of means diminutive price
for his company!
II is claimed that where the working
girl on the East Side was In danger of
the saloon dance-hall gangster, her sister
in a higher stratum of society is in danger
from a more refined edition of this gem
tleman. who might be aptly described as
the social gangster."
The strong-minded lady, who is fight
ing this battle with such energy. main
tains that the sweeping away of the
social gangster will include the sweeping
away of the combination Broadway res
and dance establishment. But in
her opinion this will be a good riddance,
as she maintains that its object never
was to give anybody a good time. The
financial side was the only thing and
meant the selling Of drinks. In the East
Side nlght-dance restaurants, the girls
we're encouraged to come, because the
girls attracted the men, and the men {
bought drinks. But on Broadway there
S a reverse order of things. The men
ire there, the men attract the girls and
he girls pay for the drinks
Certainly this seems curious pro-