STREETS OF LONDON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17943, 24 May 1920, Page 6

STREETS OF LONDON

WORK OF WOMEN PATROLS. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, March 30. At an important Mansion House meeting in support of the appeal of the London Diocesan Couno.il for I'reventive Rescue and Penitentiary Work to enable \v:dor, more sympathetic, and more effective methods to be applied to its activities, the Lord Mayor said that nowadays many young men seemed to be at a loose end. and had quite forgotten the marriage tie. He received almost daily lottors from girls and women in France asking for the addresses of men from whom they had received oilers of marriage, and from mothers who stated the man had "promised to marry my daughter." He sent these letters to the various consulates. Inspector Fyfe, of the women s patrols, said ' that that body had had many victories and many disappointments, and had acquired much knowledge. Its members had patrolled a street of houses of ill-fame, and prevented coupl.es going into the houses to such an extent that they had spoilt the "trade" of that thoroughfare. On two occasions they had almost snatched men away from women at the doors of disorderly houses. One of them said he had a wife and family in Canada. They had rescued a girl of 15 in the Strand from an Australian soldier, who had "treated" her until he made her drunk. She was taken home to her employer, a. minister, and had not appeared on the streets again. They had also prevented girls from booking rooms with soldiers. In Piccadilly" two officers, who were with girls, ran away when the i women police spoke to their companions; and here a drunken officer who had given a cheque to a girl was assisted very materially. _ The girl was got away from him, and his cheque was stopped, as also was a second cheque that ho had given to another girl. The women patrols had also assisted hotels to keep out undesirables of both sexes. Some of the best rescue work on Waterloo bridge was accomnlished in the early hours of the morning. Tt mi.sht be true that the streets of London could be cleaned 1171 in a week if the Heme Secretary would jri'o the order.