Commercialized Prostitution in New York CityKneeland, George J. (George Jackson)
History
Commercialized Prostitution in New York City
Kneeland, George J. (George Jackson)
Prostitution -- New York (State) -- New York
We have deliberately refrained from attempting to make even an approximate
calculation on the basis of the foregoing tables of the profits annually
derived from commercialized prostitution in New York City. But a moment's
reflection will suggest the enormous sums involved. If, for example, the
table dealing with thirty parlor houses, _i. e._, less than one-half of
those investigated, even roughly represents the monthly volume of
business, over $2,000,000 a year are paid to their inmates, one-half of
which is at once paid over to the houses; the running expenses of the
houses are about one-quarter of a million; but the profits are not reduced
by this sum, for the payments of the inmates for board and lodging are
supposed to be equal to the expense of conducting the establishment.
Moreover, the estimates above given entirely omit certain very important
indirect sources of revenue,--for large profits are derived from the sale
of liquor, tobacco, lewd pictures, booklets, verse and other reading
matter. Finally, patrons often tip lavishly, leaving "gift" or "luck"
money, and in innumerable other ways add to the revenue of the resorts.
The total expenditure incurred and the net profit to the exploiters,
therefore, run high up into the millions annually.[228]
A partial confirmation of the scale of the estimates above given is
furnished by the following incident:
During the evening of May 3, 1912, one of the owners of a house of
prostitution in West 25th Street was trying to sell a one-third interest
in his one-dollar resort. He had written on a sheet of brown wrapping
paper the receipts and expenses for one month in connection with the
business in this house. This document is in our possession. The items
which interest us in this connection are receipts for four weeks and two
days, or 30 days in all: First week's receipts, $1,735; second week,
$1,612; third week, $1,463; fourth week, $1,401; two days, $243; making a
total of $6,454 for the thirty days, or an average of about $215 per day.
The average number of inmates in this house is 15. In that case, each
inmate earned $15, that is, received 15 men each day.
The income of the street walker is probably subjected to greater
fluctuations than that of the house or flat inmate, weather and other
conditions greatly affecting her earnings. It is therefore impossible to
gain any conception of the volume of money that changes hands in
consequence of street business. Samples are, however, available; the
account book which was secured from a young prostitute, neither very
aggressive nor very attractive, who solicits on East 14th Street and
receives usually one dollar for her services, runs as follows:
Wednesday $7.50
Thursday 7.00
Friday 9.00
Saturday 9.50
Sunday 4.50
Monday 7.50
Tuesday 8.00
a total of $53.
The items for the next seven days are as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account