On April 9, 1912, the same investigator received the following letter from the proprietor of the parlor: "_Dear Mrs. ----_: "If you have not taken any position yet, would you kindly call on me? "Respectfully, (Signed) "----." A week later the investigator called again, finding the establishment still in operation, with a new assistant, procured through the landlord. With a little prodding, the garrulous madame resumed her confidences, explaining the process of "fixing up" girls so as to appear young, and other details of her nefarious occupation. In the foregoing pages we have circumstantially described the more prominent forms taken by vice in New York City. It is surely no exaggeration to maintain that the evidence submitted proves that prostitution in New York City is widely and openly exploited as a business enterprise.[67] The exploiters, the scenes of their operations, their methods, their associations, and their victims are all equally notorious. It is idle to explain away the phenomena on the ground that they are the results of the inevitable weakness of human nature: human weakness would demand far fewer and less horrible sacrifices. Most of the wreckage, and the worst of it, is due to persistent, cunning and unprincipled exploitation: to the banding together in infamous enterprises of madame, pimp, procurer, brothel-keeper, and liquor vender to deliberately carry on a cold-blooded traffic for their joint profit,--a traffic, be it added, from which the girl involved procures at the most, with few exceptions, her bare subsistence, and that, only so long as she has a trade value. CHAPTER III PLACES WHICH CATER TO VICE Places which cater to vice are divided into two groups. The first group, catering directly to vice, includes saloons and their accessories, such as concert halls and cabaret shows; the second group, operating indirectly, comprises public dance halls, burlesque theaters, amusement parks, and boat excursions. The proprietors of these places usually have full knowledge of the demoralizing influence of their establishments, and deliberately encourage such conditions for the purpose of increasing their profits. "The saloons which cater to women," writes Professor Rauschenbusch, "the dance halls that encourage indecent dances and supply long intermissions for the consumption of liquor; pleasure resorts and excursion steamers, theaters, music halls, and moving picture shows that use the ever ready attractiveness of sex interests--are all smoothing the downward road--and they know it."[68] Nevertheless, it would be unjust to condemn indiscriminately all persons connected with the places which indirectly promote vice. An exception should be made of certain proprietors of dance halls and amusement parks, the commissioners of public parks, and some excursion boat owners.