t will keep the city out of the old rut. Great things
are expected from the "Cosson" law, passed at the last session of the
Iowa State Legislature. It has even been intimated that this law is
responsible for the abolishment of the red-light districts, though it
does not become effective until July 4, 1909. There has always been
abundance of laws against prostitution and its attendant evils. The
trouble has always been that they were not enforced.

In addition to the statements of the chief of police and the city
physician, I am sending you a copy of a voluntary statement received
from an independent investigator, representing a civic association in
one of the largest cities of the Middle West. As the association desires
to continue these investigations in other cities for some time to come
we are only allowed to use this statement on the express stipulation
that the name of the investigator and the city he represents is
suppressed for the time being. His statement is as follows:

Mr. J. L. Hamery.

Dear Sir: After a careful and critical examination of conditions in Des
Moines, it is with the greatest pleasure that I extend to the citizens
of your city my hearty congratulations upon the successful progress of
the campaign for civic betterment. Having been particularly interested
in the effort made here to stamp out the recognized houses of
prostitution, and having been qualified by considerable experience in
the investigation of all phases of the social evil in large cities, I
feel that I speak with some degree of authority on this subject. And it
gives me great pleasure to say to you and Des Moines that there is not
now in this city a recognized and admitted house of prostitution.

There are not any considerable number of loose women to be seen upon the
streets, and the deportment of the women who do walk the streets of Des
Moines speaks volumes in praise of the efficiency of your police
regulation.

I have made special search for indications of prostitutes having taken
up residence in the city at large, and am absolutely convinced that your
experience has proven this bugaboo to be wholly chimerical. This
conclusion has been amply verified by interviews I have had with
representative business and professional men, whose homes are in the
residential districts of your city.

The evidences of activity in Des Moines real estate are to my mind
conclusive proof that this city is rising to a proper realization and
app