The New York herald., 1921-03-28
COST OF SURPRISING.
VICE HAS INCREASED
Committee of Fourteen Sets
Forth Its Needs for Larger
1921 Budget.
CITY Is MUCH CLEANER
Hotel Licenses and Special
Court for Men Among
Recommendations.
CITY IS MUCH CLEANER

The Committee OF Fourteen organized
In ls05 to put Raines Law notels out OF
business. and since then engaged in dis
covering and suppressing commercialized
vice. finds ii costs good deal more
nowadays to protect the morals OF
community than II used TO. Formerly
the virtuous Fourteen could get along
on a few thousand dollars a year, the
budget for 1sIs-1s2o being trifie more
than $4,000 but Percy s. Straus, the
chairman. notes in the annual report just
issued that the committee has been
faced with the difficulty of adjusting its
work to the increased cost of operation.
In Justice TO its staff higher salaries
have been paid. The cost of investiBa-
tion has very materially increased. In
formation which formerly could be Sc
cured from a casual acquaintance at
small expense can be got now only by
spending considera BILE cash. Chairman n
straus states that IL the committees
work is to go on effectively the budget
must be increased.
The report of the treasurer shows the
principal contributors the last year were
Arthur Curtiss James and John d.
Rockefeller, Jr., each of whom gave
S2,5O0 Then came Robert S. Brewster,
Cleveland II. Dodge, Joseph p. Grace.
Mrs Willard D. Straight and Felix M.
warburg, $500 each, and Percy s. Straus
$3.50. Other contributions were rela-
lively small
At the outset OF the report the Com
mittee of Fourteen ventures the obser-
walton that New York has less open vice
than any of the worlds largest cities.
Progress in the suppression OF CONNER
clalized vice has been much more rapid
in recent years than 1t formerly was.
The problem used to be considered one
OF morals. Now II is recognized to be
one of community welfare.
''Under the selective service act millions
OF men were physically examined" Chair
man Straus states. THE result proved
the serious menace of diseases. En-
ployers realized for the first time that
diseases were a factor In underproduc-
ton and labor turnover. The fight has
since become one for industrial and civic
efficiency and morals"
The recommenda ations made by the
Committee of Fourteen this year are as
follows: Secure (D law for the
licensing of hotel; (2) an amendment
to the procedure In the magistrates
courts to secure a more uniform and
charged with solicitation and procuring.
and (3) an amendment TO the appeal
procedure of the magistrates courts.
Chairman Straus comments that while
there are very few hotels devoted to wee,
nevertheless 1t would make for improve
ment il all hotels were licensed. As re-
CARDS the second recommendation, the
committee finds that while there has
been O. great advance in the treatment
Of women engaged in commercializeo
vice. there has been no such improve
ment in the treatment of men, and that
male offenders usually go before mag
istrates that are without special knowl-
edge of the complex problems OF COM
mercialized vice.
Something In the nature OF speclai
tribunal for such cases. a court or the
nature of the Women's Court, is sug-
gested in the report. AS regards the
third recommendation. 1t Is the opinion
of the Committee Of Fourteen that an
appeal from the magistrates court
should be heard by three or more of the
Judges of General Sessions. instead OF
by the Judge presiding in Part l., as is
now the case.
In the year recorded the committee
lost one OF it's original members, Prof.
Francis NJ Burdick. Rabbi Fl. Pereira
Mendes resigned because of Ill health.