Legislation To Curb London ‘Clip Joints9

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30477, 26 June 1964, Page 11

Legislation To Curb London ‘Clip Joints 9

(N Z PA.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, June 25.

Three foreign visitors spent 15 minutes in one of London’s all-night “clipjoints” drinking nothing but fruit juice, then received a bill for £27, the House of Commons has been told. The Home Secretary, Mr Brooke, disclosed this case of overcharging when the House approved a bill to stop women touting outside the refreshment houses—described as “near beer” clubs—in London’s cosmopolitan quarter of Soho. He said it was the record known case of “fleecing” at one of 40 of such “clip-joints” visited by foreign tourists. The Government bill lays down that owners of the establishments henceforth

must not charge more than the tariff, which must be displayed outside the premises. The clubs are open from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the sale of non-alcoholic drinks. Mr Brooke, describing a tour he made himself, did not give the nationality of the three tourists. He said a woman stood just outside the clubs to inveigle passers-by to enter the premises.

A vague Idea of night-club entertainment was created, he said, as well as of seductive company, drinking, “and perhaps something more exciting than that at the end." Once inside, the customer sat down with the hostess at a small table. She ordered round after round of fruit juice for both, her pay de-

pending on the speed of the drinking.

“If the customer is hoping for something to come after, he is completely frustrated and finds himself on the pavement with nothing in bls pocket and a lot of fruit juice effervescing in his stomach,” Mr Brooke said. Miss Alice Bacon, a Labour member and schoolteacher, said amid laughter: “It is a man’s bill for the protection of foolish men—tired businessmen, the middle-aged or elderly, who go into the sleaziest parts of London. "They are foolish and deserve all they get.”

The bill was given an unopposed second readingagreement in principle—and

is expected to become law by the end of July.