The establishment reached its sanctioned strength of 10 Sergeants and 100 women patrols in September, 1919, but during the month of November only about 40 women patrols could be employed as winter overcoats were not available. Work had to be entirely suspended in a number of places and this seriously affected the returns.

After the first year's experience, the Commissioner considered that the work of the Woman's Division had so far developed that it was necessary to formulate their duties and conditions of service. For this purpose he appointed a committee, of which the superintendent of police, Mr. Billings, and the head superintendent of the women patrols, Mrs. Stanley, were members. The result of the deliberations of this committee were embodied in the Police Order of February 4, 1920.

The original establishment continued (A-29) until December, 1921, the appointments being renewed year by year. A variation was then made. Two inspectors were appointed (with pay of their rank) and the number of sergeants was reduced by two.

The institution of a Women's Division in the Metropolitan Police Department was widely discussed among police authorities and social agencies in the British Isles. The interest was such that in 1920 the Home Secretary appointed a committee to inquire into and report on "the employment of women on police duties.'

The Committee, composed of five men, four of whom were members of Parliament, and two women,

one a member of Parliament, took up its work in February, 1920. Forty-eight witnesses were called and examined before the Committee, including high police and government officials, women and police officers, and representatives of organizations interested in the movement.25

In August, 1920, the report of the Committee was issued.26 It carried the conclusion that "After careful consideration of all the evidence we are of the opinion that in thickly populated areas, where offenses against the law relating to women and children are not infrequent, there is not only scope, but urgent need for the employment of policewomen. In particular we feel strongly that in the investigation of cases of indecent assault upon women and children the services of policewomen may be of great assistance in taking statements from the victim. We also desire to express our agreement with the view which was put before us by one witness, that, as information regarding the facilities provided for treatment of venereal diseases can now be obtained from the police, it is important that policewomen should be available to give this information to women."

Almost immediately the Home Office circulated the Report to the Police Authorities in England and Wales, with a covering letter which advised "that the women police should not be attested and that

25 Listed in alphabetical order in the Minutes of Evidence.

26 Report Cmd. 877. H. M. Stationery Office, 28 Abingdon St., London S. W. 1. 3d.

action concerning them on the basis of the report should be deferred." 27 The covering letter aroused the women's organizations to action and on February 25th, a deputation called on the Home Secretary and so forcibly represented the matter that on March 17th he issued a circular advising that women officers should receive pay in accordance with the recommendation of the Report. The pay of the Metropolitan women police was made retroactive to January 1st, 1921, on this basis. The pay of women police was thus standardized throughout the British Isles. The Police Pension Act of 1921 established the position of women police on a firm basis and allowed them pension benefits.

Perhaps nothing since the war has aroused the English women's organizations so generally to action as the Report of the Committee on National Expenditures (Geddes Report) (Geddes Report) appearing on February 12th, 1922.28 In a voluminous report, women police were dismissed with the following short paragraph. "We have considered the question of the employment of women patrols-their powers are very limited and their utility from a police point of view is, on the evidence submitted to us, negligible.” 29

27 The History of the Official Women Police (to July, 1924). National Council of Women.

28 Minutes of Evidence Committee on the Police Service. Cmd. 874, 6s.

29 The Home Secretary on March 7th in the House of Commons said, in answer to a question, that the only witnesses consulted on this question by the Geddes Committee were himself and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. Requests from the National

Immediately the National Council of Women organized a public Protest Meeting where 47 women's societies were represented. The year 1922 was mainly spent in efforts to prevent the abolition of all women police. Debates in Parliament were numerous. On March 1st, Lady Astor, during a debate on national expenditures asked in the House of Commons if the government had definitely decided to abolish all women police. The reply was "I believe that is so." That same day the Home Secretary met the joint Central Committee of the Police Federation, who recommended the removal of all women police.

Following instructions from the Home Secretary (A-29) to discontinue the renewal of contracts for women police, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force took the necessary measures to execute that order. This action was vigorously opposed. In Parliament there were many debates, conferences, and discussions, while outside of Parliament, women's societies organized public protest meetings and delegations to visit government officials.

In the course of a warm discussion on June 29th, 1922, in the House of Commons, the Home Secretary referred to "the disloyalty of the women's division of police." This statement although later challenged and disproved, could not immediately be proved false, and it influenced the vote which followed and

Council of Women and other groups to be heard, were refused by the Committee. (See footnote 27.)

which authorized the retention of only 20 out of the 114 Metropolitan Women Police.27

Two sections were created in the Metropolitan Police District in each of which a "welfare worker" was stationed for special work in cases of sex offenses, particularly incest involving children. (A75) One of these was in charge of Miss McDougall and in the second district one of the twenty women police was responsible for this special work. Three patrolled Hyde Park (A-216) two patrolled Hampstead Heath Paths, and others were sent where most needed and where they worked under men officers.

On February 1, 1923, The Home Secretary gave the power of arrest to the women police who are now called "women constables" (A-30) and who have the same standing as men constables. The senior woman police was given the rank of inspector. Her duties are concerned solely with conditions of service-clothing, lodging, recruiting, promotion, etc., and not with the supervision of the work of the women police (A-40).

Four extra women were recruited in the spring of 1924 for special service with the Metropolitan Police at the Imperial Exposition at Wembly, but were paid from exposition funds. In July, 1924, there were seventeen official women police available for any given day's duty (A-1489).

The need seems so urgent to some private organizations that they maintain agents in the field. Among them are various Church Organizations, the Vigilance Committee and the London Council for the