The Portland daily press., 1886-05-14
SKATING RINK LICENSES.
Hearing Before the Board of Mayor
and Aldermen.

The hearing by the Board of Mayor and
Aldermen upon the petitions OF Charles Il.
Warwick and Groves & Conway for licenses
to keep skating Kinks, was held at o'clock
Yesterday afternoon. Mayor Chapman pre-
sided, and all the members of the Board
were present with the exception Of Alder
man Kicker who is absent from the city.
The Ministerial Association, by which OBJ
lection to the granting of the licenses was
made, was represented by Rev. Messrs.
Bashford, Daniels, Blanchard, Winter, Adj
ans and Crosley. Mr.. Charles E. Warwick,
of the Bijou Rink, and Mr.. Groves, OF the
Congress Rink, represented the rink owners.
The Mayor stated the object of the meet
ing of the Board, and said that it would be
in order to first hear what the directors
were ready to submit. Rev. DR.. bashlofu
for the committee of the Ministerial Associ-
alton, then read the reasons for the action OIL
the association. The document was lengthy,
occupying over half an hour in the reading.
In opening, the paper stated that the MIN
listers were not present as prosecutors "a
legal trial, but that, in connection with other
residents of Portland, certain clergymen ana
physicians believe that the skating Kinks OF
the city are moral and physical injury to
our people. They, therefore, ask that no
licenses be granted for the keeping OF rin Ks
clergy of the Catholic church, are restrained
by confidence from giving the facts upon
which their judgment rests, but Father Lin
chan has stated the clergy and nine-tenths
of the Catholic laity thought the Kinks should
be closed Bishop Nelly, Rev. DR.. Dalton,
and Rev. DR.. Hill are opposed to the Kinks,
their convictions arising from traits and in
cldents which reveal the character OF an in
stltutlon, and.not upon personal knowledge
of criminal acts connected with our Kinks.
The paper then cites five cases of illegiti-
mate births, four separations of married
people, two dissensions in families, four
cases of physical injury, three cases of indie
cency, one case where respectable woman
was accosted by man who saw her in
skating rink and followed her, two cases of
Opponents, and sixteen cases of venereal
diseases which are claimed to have been
caused by the formation of friendships at
the skating Kinks. The names of the parties
were not given, but the ministers, physicians
and others who furnished the information,
were named
The opinion of Mr.. fash, Dr. Dole,
Messrs. Chase and Files is quoted showing
their belief in the harmful influence of skat-
ing Kinks upon school children. The testi-
mony given in behalf of the Kinks at the last
hearing is alluded to as negative in charac-'
ter, and it is claimed that property in the
vicinity of the Kinks has deprecated in
value.
After DR.. Bashford concluded, Mr. Mar
wick spoke, referring first to the price of
real estate in the vicinity of his rink, men
tioning the recent erection of large double
brick house on lot which had been vacant
since the great fire. He said that he had
conducted his rink in an orderly manner,
and knew of no such cases as mentioned in
the paper read by DR.. Bashford. Mr.. Mar
wick maintained that it was unfair to make
such charges without specifying in what
Kinks the trouble originated. Mr.. Warwick
read the testimony of prominent physicians
and clergymen as to the benefit of roller
skating, and described the manner in which
his rink was conducted.
Mr.. Groves said that all his property was
in his rink and he should not know what to
do with the building if license was refused
him.
Rev, Mr.. Daniels read list of rents and
values of houses in the vicinity Of the Bijou
rink to show that they had deprecated, and
it was claimed that the rates of insurance
were higher in that locality. This was con-
troverted by Mr.. Warwick, whose brother,
Mr.. Albert Warwick, the insurance agent,
stated that in some companies the rate had
been raised, but not in ALL
DR.. Lamb testified that he had had but one
case traceable to skating rink, and that
where injury was inflicted by strapping on
the skates too tightly.
The hearing was closed ON motion of Alder
man Wilson, and on motion of Alderman
Sawyer action on the petitions was deferred.
The Board then adjourned.