The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-04
Frederic Haskin's Leu
Municipal Aid to Cupid.

New York. Jan. 3.-with Brother
Crafts attacking public courting on
the ONE hand. and the housing sltu-
alton making private counting Diff
fcult On The other. what u to be-
come Of the gentle art? The social
service workers Of our large cities
fear that. unless some extraordi.
nary measure 10 taken to restore 1t,
the course Of true love may re-
ceive . serious setback.
What they advocate is the estab-
lishment Of municipal counting par
lors-run po- libby In connection
with the public schools or churches
where the youth Of the nation
can do it, love-making against .
dignined background.
The counting situation Is becom-
ing worse daily. they assert. as
housing conditions become more
acute. With several families oc-
cupying one small house or apart
msnt. there is simply no space left
for Cupid. From the comfortable
and romantic seclusion of the dim.
back parlor, he has been thrust
into the street, where he has about
the same degree of privacy as a
white-aproned pancake turner In a
Childs' restaurant window.
Never before have our American
girls been so handicapped in the
highly important business of fas-
cfnating prospective husbands
Never before has 1t been 30 difficult
to corner and capture an eligible
young man. For all the old relia-
BILE tricks of the counting campaign
have been swept away by the hous-
ing shortage.
Miss Jones. who used to attract
80 many beaux with the aid of hel
mothers charming little Sunday
night suppers. now has to make the
best OF two feet Of space in the
front hall, the dining room being
rented to anther family at the rate
of 500 a month. And Miss Smith
who used to be able to wheedle q
proposal out of any man in the dim
pink.shaded radia--ce of the family
parlor, has now had to learn an en-.
tirely new technique for doing the
same thing in . movie theatre.
No Place 1t Home.
1t has come to the point where
unless family is rich. q girl prac'
tically has to meet her boy friends
outside her home. Instead of sit
ting In the parlor with the light
turned low, they are now forced tt
meet in hotel Hobbies, corner drul
stores, parks, movies and cabaYets
where there are always many in
tsrruptions to the serious work il
hand. The experience Of socia
workers shows that Cupid does no
thrive in such conditions. Often h,
Is cruelty misunderstood by tn,
police. and frequently he himsel
proves unreliable, with the result
that thousands Of girls. are nov
finding their romantic dreams end
ing in unpleasant affairs In the ju
venile and women's courts.
| Ono of the leaders Of the new
movement for city counting par
lors is Miss Mary Bartleme. chic
Of the social workers in the Chi
cago juvenile court.
Il have been watching the vicis
situdes of city counting for q
years." declared Miss Baritone re
Gently in discussing this novel pro
ject. land I Lave listened to thou
sands Of girls tell their stories
how they Happened to go wrong
why they met young men clandes
timely outside their homes, ant
what they would have done hal
conditions been different, And
am firmly convinced that the hous
ing problem Is at the bottom o
most Of the ceses that come to me
"What We need" continued tn
small. grey-haired lady, VIII
knows so much about fallen fem
ininity, is public counting parl0rt
School boards should turn thei
buildings over to the young folk:
Churches should be open ever
might to help girls entertain thei
friends.
"Cities are building great mu
nicipal garages to park automo
biles so they won't clutter up tn
streets. Department stores an
theatres check babies so mother
can be free. So why not have
municipal counting parlor where
girl can park her sweetie!"
The same view 10 held by q prom
inent club woman here in Ne,
York, whose hobby 10 smoothin
the path Of the working girl. Sh
asserts that under present cond
tons the moving picture theatre
, and dance halls are the only have
,, for the majority Of counting COT
pies. So many Of the young girl