Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-09
VICE IN THIS CITY.
Some Remarks ON the Subject I'm Major
Walkers Report.

| Walkers Report.
THINGS WHICH THE ONE SOLITARY POLICE
MAN TO SQUARE MILE HAS TO CONTENT
wITR-THE NEED OF AN INCREASE OF THE
FORCE AS URGED By MAJOR wALKER-H1GH
| LICENSE FAVORED.
Major Walker in his annual report to the
District Commissioners OF the operations Of the
| police department, enargeA upon the recon-
mendations submitted in brief with his esti
| mates looking TO an increase In the force, and
| some changes in the organ cation. He presents
statements showing that while in the District
| there Is only an average ofone policeman TO the
| square mile patrolling at one time, in st. Louis
there are 3, Boston, 4; Louisville, .; Chicago, g.
| CINCINNATI. 10; Brooklyn, 10; Baltimore, Id
| New York %. There is one policeman on duty
TO every 900 population in this city; one to
2,4OO IN St Louis; TO 800 in Boston, to 2, lao
In Louisville, to 1,S42 in Chicago, TO 1925 In
S.neinnat', to 1000 in Brooklyn, TO 1.sOO In
| Baltimore, and Ia 1895 i'll New York.
AN INCREASED FORCE NECESSARY.
| He says: Congress should grant an increase
| or 1OC men. That number would enable the
placing on duty at one time 49, men. Such
| action /, necessary for the required labor to be
performed. The estimates Call tor u less num-
| Der, for au Increase which canuoi, under any
circumstances, be done without. This estimate
| Is not MISUNDERSTANDING allowances for any re-
| auctions 10 be made. Actual necessities are
| demanded and more recommended No scaling
| Is provided for. Upon Inquiry Instituted no
| citizen OF Taxpayer has been found vino would
| not grady urge the Hon. Com missioners 10 in-
| crease the assessment OF property sufficiently
! TO provide the additional means TOR this in
crease in the force. The tact that the District
Columbia il almost defenseless, except in the
| heart OF the city of Washing ton, Is Il matter
! the citizens, strangers, the custodians OF the
government Institutions and the people OF the
| country that they Should he made acquainted
witn Inc iaci that the Capital city OF the Union,
| with its immense wealth, valuable inlprO. e.
nents broad avenues aud beautiful PARKS, in
| All ranking IN magnifice ace with any caty In
the world, Is pOlice0 by less than 100 men any
time. he urge Sealso, that $4,000 year Tor
| the detective branch OF the service could be
| well SpeuL.
The report contains the following comments
On various phases OF vice and police work in
| The city.
THE IDLE AND sHIFrLEss POPULATION.
Every large city has its lille aud shiftiess pop
| ulation, aid ours is not an exception in this
regard. In proportion to the entire population
various circumstances beyond human control
have exercised an Influence which has made
that Class III Washington much larger Iuan
that OF other cities. Aud it Is own inoo-
lent population alone i,Iat nave 10 de1i Win.
Being In close proximity TO and easy Of access
from neighoOrlnz States and towns, those with
out means and VINO despise an honest way to
get item nnd the Capital happy retreat,
| where The eruii1s from the hotel. restaurant,
and clearinghouse table afford many vi them
su,tenance during tue summer months, while
s,e~dy application 10 their EIvorlte vocation
pubic and prisate community keeps them
IIom starving during the winter. Besides
ines! these tners Is another Glass Of per.
SOUS, many OF tnem capable aud
willing, VINO, after serving ih government EN-
pioy or u Time, finally tiud themselves thrown
out upon The wOrid without shelter and foud,
and without that ambiLion and energy wnicu
would seek out something Tor their hands TO do
iii osner les Some of THESE In time recover
themselves, W nile others 60 the road TO ruin.
Again, there are many who have work and Re-
cei'e ior 1t a lar greater remuneration, with
the spare TINE that accompanies IL, than tuey
kno" no" 10 properly apply and take care o.
From these Three Classes OF inuOieut people
emerges tbat eiemeEt with winch the police
conle in Contact each day, and 1t uas Deen esti-
mated in numbers at between twenty anu
twenty-five thousand people. II is this element
wlIcn supplies not only the capital, but the
Material ior The yrOggeries, pool, poker, policy
and lo.tery crius, ana IN the emu Inc subjects
.or our ;isy .ums, worknouse, jail. penitentisary
and galiOws.
LIQUOR LICENSES.
The stringent regulations of your honorable
board during The PAST year with relation 10 the
'slove-pipe dealer, who Is patroniZed largely
by the classes that have been referred TO, will
soon rid the community of tne,e ve,uers.
Iney seIi u DRINK, drunk, and assault, Ii
not a murder, ior tue minimum price. WnIie
Dy your more stringent regulations many OF
tnen have taken GU: the Uar-rIom VI retail
license, IL Is sails actUry To know that cOuSid-
cradle number vi tAem have also been forced
to abandon tue traffic. AS things were IL was
an easy matter to procure wholesale liquor
ilcedse, the price OF which, $50, almost
the sole requirement. and tneu the sales of
these people wound realize them little did they
not vioIate the law aud permit the use vi the
driuk upol their Premises. In enforcing the
liquor law We dnd those VINO possess the
required hundred dollars prepared ~ take out
Tue Increased Or oarroOm license In order
That their goods may De consumed at their
resorts, Ii they can DuI secure the legal mum
der OF resident aud proper,y-ownins signs.s
while those WHO nyut fur delay, to continue at
wholesale IN tue gr.,ygery business, either have
not the means to deirAy LIE expense oi the bar
70 procure the necessary signatures to obtain
IL. Many OF Tile later nave u grocery attach
ment, and not oniy permit q violation Of THO
Law which iorbiGs iQuOr being drunk on the
premises, but under the suise vi supplying grS-
ceries On sunday the ''bacK room anu .'Oar-
room" Is reaened and there the sunday Law Is
laughed at.
vi the crimes committed in this District dur.
ing the past year the greater portion Of them
sale supply vi drink could De had AZ One-Inlrd
the retail price.
The retail or oar-room people are very square
and uprlsnt In one Particular, aud that Is their
estaoiishinents are as a general thing in locaIi-
lies where it Is not necessary to exuume them
from a labyrinth oI groceries In order 10 dis
cover the character vi their patrons or when
vocation Oh The law Is oeinS INDUCED in. They
are always IN plain view oI the ponce, aud are
conducted III as Orderly d manner The gener.
ailty OF sucn establishments. Yet among them
are many VINO would Ue compelled w urOp out
"a the business under nign license law,
coupled WIN Increased police surveillance.
The spy system, or buying ol drinks by officer,
or their agents, is course to be deprecated
lie end does not justify the Ineans. In at
tempting ~ discourage intempers,Lce II is being
encouraseL, ana Especially TIE part Oh those
VINO SHOULD abstain iron IL above all others.
"A physician aud policeman should ALWAYS
naIntan u clear mind. Inc officer on the beat
SHOULD Ue held accOu table Tor All violations OF
law which he nas the means at nand To prevent
There - out one Means by whicu the LIQUOR
uainc can oe abridged at the capital, und luat
L. oy higher license Tor the retailer aud AN ex.
FORMULATION "a tue cUruer grocery aud stove
pipe Saloons. The retailer VINO has Two doors
10 his premises ON dinereut streets should also
Oe required TO obtain the usual property and
nousenoIder sixuers for each door ana pay q
double license.
THE POoL~ROON.
By far the greatest evil that has sprung up in
our midst, and which is discountenapcedi in the
largest cities Of the country, is the pool-ruom,
past events. Men and boys OF all ages patron
ne them, and We have had presented us several
examples where young men with bright pros
peciS nave Koue the downward path LnrOugn
tUese Influences. Here young boy. are b.Inx
educated IN the ways that are QarK and tricks
that are vain. Clerks In the departments neg.
iecL tneir vocation IN pursuit oi the gam which
ior the practice ON the race-cOurse, where it il
under the scrutiny and OUser alton OF the club
management AMI where the trials are in plain
View, but the operation OF these pool deus in
must We accepted rs TACT, enables Lne largest
amount ot odds 70 he offered by uim aud the
greaiest number OF people 70 be skinned by
him.
As our Law on the subject has been adiudeed
oencient, IL would be well for Congress To SUB
salute the New York law, wlicn has been
found ironciad In its application. As applied
here the law SnOuld read: