"Our attitude toward music is typical of our carelessness toward
all these things which make for common joy."

The vicious, sensuous music of the dance hall, with accompanying
words, often indecent and full of vulgar, suggestive appeal, are
permitted a vogue throughout the entire country.

No diagnosing of the immigrant city problem or understanding of
the task of securing civic righteousness can be obtained by Home
Mission women without realizing the place and influence of amusements
upon the lives of the young people of our land.

A noted English playwright stated that "the theatre is literally
making the minds of our urban population to-day. It is a huge factory
of sentiment, of character, of points of honor, of conception, of
conduct, of everything that finally determines the destiny of a nation."

Hundreds, yes, thousands of young people attend the five-cent
theatres every night, including Sunday, receiving the constant
effect of vulgar music and a debased and often vulgar and suggestive
dramatic art.

"Many immigrant parents," says Jane Addams, "are absolutely
bewildered by the keen absorption of their children in the cheap
theatres.

"One Sunday evening recently an investigation was made of four
hundred and sixty-six theatres in the city of Chicago, and it was
discovered that in the majority of them the leading theme was