JEWEL-STREWN STREETS

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3376, 2 March 1920, Page 7

JEWEL-STREWN STREETS

WHEN WOMEN ARE MORE CARESLESS THAN MEN. The'public is always careless, but since the Armistice alt records have been broken in the number of articles which Londoners have left behind them. Scotland Yard has never - been so busy in restoring their property to its casual owners. During the past summer an average of two thousand articles per month have been handed back t© drivers or conductors of public vehicles because their rightful owners have not come forward to claim them. This means that very nearly two hundred articles a day are left behind in buses, trams, trains and taxi-cabs.

Many of these articles are of considerable value. During one month of the past season more than a hundred articles of gold jewellery werebrought to Scotland Yard. They included thirty-eight broches, thirty bracelets, thirty-two pendants, and twelve necklaces. Twenty-three of the brooches were set with diamonds, and five of the necklaces were pearls—real pearlsTheir value may be gathered by the fact that in some cases rewards as high as £SO were offered for their recovery.

In theatres, too, the amout of valuables left lying about is really amazing. Umbrellas head the list; second in point of numbers come operaglasses; then fur boas, capes, waterproof coats, purses, card-cases, gloves, and walking sticks. The lost property room at one theatre has contained also silk hats, stereoscopes, a crutch, and a dainty evening shoe. T)id the lady go home with one shoe off and one shoe on? Women are far more careless than men in respect of leaving things about. A cynical official has suggested that this is because they do not have to pay for their own jewellery. The real reason, perhaps, is because their costumes are so poorly provided with pockets.