“A social club gave a ball on the evening of March 23, 1912, at a hall in East 2nd Street. The dancing was very suggestive. The special officer was entertaining a police sergeant, but neither made any effort to regulate the actions of the dancers. The next afternoon another club occupied the hall at the same address, with the same special officer in attendance. Suddenly, when the dancing was in full swing, the officer hurriedly rushed among the dancers and told them to ‘cut it out’ as three detectives had just come in and he did not want to see the place closed up. A girl, apparently thirteen years of age, was dancing at the time and the officer put her off the floor, loudly declaring that the proprietor did not allow young girls to dance in the hall. Things resumed their former aspect, however, as soon as the detectives retired.”—Kneeland, George J.: Commercialized Prostitution in New York City, pp. 68-70. Bureau of Social Hygiene. New York, Century Co., 1913.
[83] See Cartwright, O. G.: The Middle West Side: Historical Notes. (West Side Studies.) Russell Sage Foundation Publication. In preparation.
[84] The solidarity of this colony of Italians is not necessarily typical of other colonies in the city, some of which are known to be well represented in the charity organization records of their district. One charitable agency reports, for instance, that in a certain upper East Side district, nearly 90 per cent of the families applying for relief in 1912-13 were Italian; but Italians undoubtedly formed a large percentage of the population.
[85] Among a group of 86 families visited, the length of residence in the district was obtained for 79. Of these, 51 families had lived in the district more than ten years. Eighteen of the 51 had come direct from Italy and 33 had moved here from other parts of the city.
[86] While the men in the group visited were found to be engaged in an unusual variety of occupations—laborer, barber, waiter, and 40 others were recorded during a general investigation among Italians in the district—most noticeable was the group of well represented occupations in which the whole family can share.
[87] A law prohibiting employment of women in factories after 10 p. m. became effective July 1, 1913.
[88] When a family is found to be no longer in need of relief, the case is technically referred to in the offices of the relief society as “closed.” If further relief is needed at a later date, it is “re-opened.”
[89] See Chapter II, In the Grip of Poverty, [p. 19].
[90] For statement regarding births and deaths of children in 31 families, not all of whom had relief records, see Chapter II, [p. 23].
[91] See Devine, Edward T.: Misery and Its Causes. New York, The Macmillan Co., 1909.