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286 THE WHITE SLAVE MARKET
great by a couple of millions as London, the
number of convictions is ten times as great
and the sentence ten times heavier. It is
estimated that fully twenty-five thousand
" pimps " and " bludgers " live on unfortunate
women's earnings in London alone; yet the
number of convictions last year rose only to
the total of a hundred and fifty-one. Surely
it is time women had votes or our law-makers
had sense, and made up their minds to exclaim
with Voltaire, J&crasez Vinfdme !
The late Lord Brampton then Mr. Justice
Hawkins stopped garotting on the Thames
Embankment by an application of the "cat "
on the graduated scale principle as the
offences increased. I would not advocate this
extreme penalty against " pimps " unless a
ruffian were convicted three times then anything
would be good enough, or bad enough,
for such a devil.
In dealing with the white slave traffic the
Government should establish a special-service
brigade composed of trusted officers, none of
whom should rank lower than a detective-
sergeant. We have special-service brigades
to deal with anarchists, illicit stills, illicit
coining, smugglers, etc., but when the white
slave traffic is dealt with it seems to be every-
body's business not to lend a hand and so
little or nothing is done.
The direct dealing with the traffic comes
under a Commissioner at Scotland Yard, a
right worthy gentleman, who is encouraged in