RECTOR CENSURES LADY “THIEVES.”

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144084, 1 May 1913, Page 6

RECTOR CENSURES LADY “THIEVES.”

A short time ago a well-known rector of Bath publicly admonished his congregation on tho subject of church thefts. Now tho rector of St. Stephen’s, Bristol, the Rev. E. J. Houghton, in a letter to the Press, raises a vigorous protest on the same subject. describing ah incident which occurred in a crowded service at his church ho writes; ; — , A gentleman, who is a seat-holdef, found himself displaced —by one or two positions —from his regular place. In his seat sat two ladies, smartly dressed. Before one had been placed his parish magazine, neatly rolled, wrapped, sealed, and addressed to him. He did not like to inconvenience his neighbours by stretching but for it during tho service, hut vailed until the end. Judge of his surprise when, towards the end of the service, one of the ladies took up the parish magazine,- looked at it, road the address, and’ calmly placed it in her muff, needless to say, leaving my friend without his magazine. Indeed, it was so calmly and deliberately done that it took away, so to spoak, his presence of mind. This petty pilfering has been brought so much to my notice that I have had to make it the subject of special moral teaching. I have been assured by those-whose knowledge I cannot doubt tliat there is no end to small thefts which go on in high-class places of entertainment by well-dressed “ladies.” In tho dressing-rooms of high-class music halls, picture houses, restaurants, tho dapy pilferings are not simply irritating, but a serious financial loss. ;

Ladies calmly walk into these places, use the dressing-rooms, go out again, or sit down and carry on, where writing materials are provided, a large and heavy correspondence. In one case I know of a lady who remained three hours in a crowded tea room without spending a penny, and the loss of towels, soap, hair-brushes and combs, serviettes, teaspoons, even small cruets, and also powder-puffs, amounts to a vocations item each week. Whore, when there is so much exterior display, is this . petty lust for getting something for nothing going to end ? Shall we bo obliged to have plain clothes detectives in addition to church officials, or will English women so keep a close watch upon one another that these things which are becoming a disgrace to womanhood shall he bound to cense.

What are Englishwomen coming to Bad as men are, I do not think that they, make off with property like this, certainly not with other people’s public powder-puffs. ' ,