SHOPLIFTING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 788, 11 April 1910, Page 4

SHOPLIFTING.

SWELL THIEVES CROWING IN NUMBER. DRAPERS TAKING ACTION. The increase in. tho shoplifting prao« tice that prevails in the-large drapery establishments in London and elsewhere- - ' has led the Council of the Drapers' Chamber-of' Commerce to take .the matter up, and they have instructed a subcommittee to report as to the best course to be adopted to deal with the evil. ...'..' , .' One of the principal movers in the, matter is Mr. Edwin Jones, of the Bon ■ Marche,, Brixton, who, in ah-' interview --. with a "Pall Mall. Gazette" representative, explained the urgent necessity ! for grappling in earnest with the lifting problem. '''..'■- : "There.can be no doubt," remarked Mr. Jones, "that leniency both on the .-'" part of shopkeepers and magistrates ' lias helped to encourage tho practifie-j and it is obvious now that leniency is out of place. The evil is growing, and wall continue to grow, unless we adopt drastic measures. '. ' c

"As a rule the offenders are fairly well-to-do women, and very "often we find them stealing again, even after the shame and scandal of the first prosecu> tion. '

"If we could put. an end to the pntc- A tice we could save hundreds.of pounds a year. As it is, we have to employ, in common with other drapery establishments, a number of detectives, but, despite these precautions, the percentage of thieving women discovered, is. very small. , - .'.- .' .'''...-.

"These women are so artful that it'; : is difficult to ■ detect them.". Usually, they attend the first day of the sate, when the shops are Crowded; ■■ Frequently they work in couples, one covering up the actions of the other. The : thief does the purchasing, while her companion pretends to be closely examining the articles. V; _• _'\ : : "So enormous is the evil growing that we find dresses being speciaSy, made, for shoplifting—that is to, say,, dresses with capacious pockets for stowing away stolen goods. . ;'" '■'•'.■■ ■•' "The thief as a rule never contents herself with one article. She goes from - department to department, annexing different articles,. and in this way; of., course,.making her guilt beyond donbt. We always allow the.thief to leave the ■ shop first before, making -the arrest; oi&erwise they. can say they intendeo; to pay; ' . -..-. -.. •'" . . . ■'. . ... ,: "A favourite excuse after.the woman ■ is caught is ill-health, but, .as 'Mr.■: Hopkins,. the."' magistrate; '■ remarks; v 'After these women have stolen and been found out they are all delicate!' "One of the difficulties of dealing with shoplifting is the unpleasant advertise- ! ment it gives to any shop. Again;-the cases differ so. very much. ' • : .■/'•'"• "What are you going to do with a' woman who has a good .account ; at your shop and always pays regularly whom you find,stealing trumpery articles? There are many, such women." ._ . '- "Of, course, you "can charge, the arti-: cles to her account and write a letter to. the husband, but, after all, is this satisfactory? . I remember when I. was.a 1 - young man telling my ■ employers ■ of : a;-well-tordo customer who • was'. always'. stealing from the shop. What answer do you think I'got?-.-I was told.to in-( suit, her'so. that she would not como p into-tie. ishop.iagain!i, ■:.-.. \ i "The magistrates latterly have.been' inclined to : take .tho view .that the way goods are displayed, at sales.is^ too mucn : of a Well, wheji'we.advertise, a sale and'sjiid orir "circulars" out. we are bound, to display the goods, .so, that peop-le,; tt'hen-they- coino-to'the' shop;;may see them. You might as well say "that when a greengrocer dis-:.. plays his fruit and vegetables on his stall outside .the shop ,he. is oifering temprfcation to.the public'.. ' '" ■ "No, tho fault lies with the womei' themselves who steal. My suggestion to' the Council of the Drapers' Chamherof , Commerce is that we should have one or two eminent counsel—men who" would .carry ;weight- with the magistrate—to represent the in these matters —that is to say," there should be v collec-tive-rather than individual action. This seems.to mo to be the only way to. stamp 'out'an evil which is growing u> ■■rapidly." . ; . . . '