Читать книгу The Times Great War Letters: Correspondence during the First World War - James Owen - Страница 16

TEMPERANCE AMONG WOMEN

6 October 1914

SIR,—IN YOUR ISSUE of to-day (October 3) your correspondent Margaret Taylor pleads for pressure to be put on Government for earlier closing of publichouses, a plea that cannot be too strongly endorsed by the women of England. When we see the increasing numbers of our poorer sisters in and out of gin palaces, we realize the immediate possibility of the degeneration of the homes our men “have left behind them.”

When the first war panic burst the dread of supply stoppage caused hundreds of homes to be broken up, the women living in lodgings instead. They are now in receipt of more money than they have ever had in their lives. This, with no man at home to see to, gives them hours of the day to get through. Can we blame them if they forgather in the only social place that opens its welcoming arms to them? To save the “home-life” for our men to find on their return, can we not take rooms in the most congested parts of our great cities, encourage our women to meet there, supply them with papers, the latest war news hung on the walls, paper, pen, and ink, free of charge, coffee, cocoa, and tea to be had at cost price? With cheery fires and simple amusements at night we shall soon find our women ceasing to care for the doubtful joys of the gin palaces. This plan has been carried out most successfully along our coasts, for the concentration camps, and been much appreciated by the men. These men are under discipline; our women are not; therefore their need is greater. The whole scheme can be carried through at very little expense—each local centre managed by a local committee. As we are starting immediately in Hammersmith, I shall be glad to give all details to anyone who is willing to inquire.

Yours, &c.,

EMILY JUSON KERR