TER VIII
A COMPARISON OF CONDITIONS IN I912 WITH CONDITIONS
IN I915 AND I916
(l) PARLOR HOUSES
Conditions in xgi2: — In 1912, 142 parlor houses were
in operation in Manhattan, with 1686 inmates. The ma¬
jority of these inmates lived in the houses and were un¬
der the direct control of the men owners and madams.
Some lived with their pimps and came to the houses at
regular hours, remaining until closing time.
Conditions November i, 1915: — On November i,
1915, only 23 houses were in active operation. In ten
of these resorts, 21 regular inmates were counted. In
five of the houses, 36 women were " on call." In six
houses, no inmates were seen, but it was estimated that
they contained 16 women. That is, with the term " par¬
lor house " construed even more broadly than was the
case during the previous investigation, the number was
cut down from 142 to 23; the inmates, from 1686 to
hardly more than 50.
Conditions November i, ipi6: — Not one of the 23
houses reported in 1915 was running. Police activity
had suppressed them all, together with 56 others which in
the course of the year led a brief, furtive existence. We
163
|