BEGGARS' RACKET IN LONDON

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 110, 11 May 1935, Page 25

BEGGARS' RACKET IN LONDON

There's a beggars' racket in London. Pitches which areworked with movOut of every shilling collected by able pictures are milked on different the beggars, eightpence goes to bullies es> . Th«e are definite lees, by the for "protection." v *""*•'' . . The street artist treasures his little fro^h^ SeSut^S bit of pavement. The flagstones he In Hampstead there are teams of uses for his canvas require months street musicians who do their day's of preparation and smoothing before'a rk before 9£o eacA morning. Then '^'becomes workable. Sl° S/p^tCbSg'^ The bully watches this work of pre- Even their bets go to the boss?who paration with interest When the art- gets another rake-off, ist has settled down he is told he Certain beggars are helped by babies needs protection. °r dogs. The price for the hire of a T ., , pathetic-looking dog" is higher than ■isxrsusr. ins-a stss^V—ik-js ssn xsa-ss^ sss zzsss -* tejw -^ W» aY S *£? being fore any action ««»■•»» taken against beaten up on his way home. The bully these people information must be laid has other side-lines. The artist must against them. •buy; his chalks and carbon from the - Inquiry at Scotland Yard reveals • Jh^ he + u mTl St,?^ fee substltute *at no such course HasCn S provided by the bully whenever he by any of the victims. "No complamte leaves his pitch. . have been made," said an omciaL