The morning call., 1893-05-17
CLOSE THE DIVES.
Two Hundred Sinks of
Sin May Vanish.
ALL FOR THE NEW ORDINANCE o
Police Commissioners and Lawyers
Agree That, if Upheld, the New
Law VIII Effect rluch.

The liquor ordinance passed to print
Monday night by the Board of Supervis-
ors will. II finally passed. close up over 150
dives. unless the Supreme Court steps in
and declares il unconstitutional.
On Kearny street alone there are no less
than nineteen dives where there are fe-
male employees. Pacific street Is even
worse. for it has twenty one to It's dis
credit. Then Montgomery avenue, Jack
son street, and in fact all the Barbary
Coast, is filed with these places where bad
wine. worse women and the very worst of
music lure on young women and boys to
ruin.
Many OF these places take out two
licenses, one for vending liquors and the
other for conducting theater.
1t is not only In what is called the Bar
barry Coast that these places flourish, but
out in the Mission and in the Potrero they
may be found.
In those which take only one license for
selling liquor the music and dancing must
he stopped at midnight, but in those
where the proprietors have also the thea
ter license they may 60 on until o'clock.
Secretary Mrkenna of the Police Com
mission said that after the law is passed
those now holding licenses viii 60 on until
their time is up. In the meantime the
License Collector will be informed through
the police which places are being run In
violation of the ordinance and licenses Will
be refused. The police know all these
places now pretty thoroughly and there
will not be much trouble or work involved
! in informing the License Collector whom
! to refuse licenses 20.
Police Commissioner Tnbin said: 1--WE
| shall be very glad Indeed TO enforce any
ordinance passed to suppress the dives.
| We want an opportunity to show them up
| and shall enforce any laws in the matter
| TO the letter.
"They are the greatest source of evil we
| have TO contend with because they are the
worst corrupters of our youths. Then they
| are OF no use in any way and not even
necessary evil.
when Major Hammond, Mr.. Alvord and
| I were appointed Police Commissioners, at
| the time the commission was established
| some fifteen years ago, we refused TO grant
| q license to any house where women were
| employed, but the new constitution pro
| vlfed that no distinction should be made
! between The employment of men and
women and the ordinance we were work
| Ing under was declared unconstitutional.
| THE CALL has done good work in this
! matter and hope that we shall have an
| ordinance so that we can do what ought
! to be done and what we could do under the
! old law"
William AlYord. in speaking of the pro-
posed new ordinance, said that of course
| the Board OF Police Commissioners would
| 90 to work TO enforce ii II finally passed
! In TACT" ne said. under the old ordi-
! nance before the adoption of the new con-
| stitution we could keep the dives sup
| pressed. w shall be glad TO have an op-
| portunliy 10 so In and do what is pre-
| posed"
Chief of Police Crowley, in speaking of
the matter, said: In Stockton they passed
an ordinance providing for heavy license
| in places where woman were employed
tained by the supreme Court. Certainly
that is very good ordinance aud effects
the purposes Of its trainers"
EX-JudEe Davis Louderback has always
! taken lively interest in the question Of
| closing the dives and said yesterday that
the only trouble in the matter has been
| with people who would insist on remedy
ing the evil their own way without regard
| TO the constitution.
They Try to do what they want to do
without regard TO what they can do and
what is reasonable. An ordinance can be
| framed to cover lle question, / think, in a
| reasonable way and without conflicting
with the Interests of the liquor-dealers or
| grocerymen. Ii the Board of Supervisors
1 tries to pass an ordinance that goes too
| far it will be knocked out. 1t requires a
| great deal Of judgmentto frame an ordi-
nance thar VIII hold. ! am sure that the
! LiGuor-dealers' Association viii welcome
any reasonable ordinance in the matter"
Another lawyer, asked his opinion as to
the c0nstitutionallty Of the ordinance. said I:
Here is section 1S of article Xxx of the
| constitution, which reads: No person.
! shall on account of sex be disqualified
| from en- lering upon or pursuing any law
| ful business, vocation or profession.'
Now you look up the Mary Mcguire
case. where the Supreme Court decided
that the ordinance prohibiting the employ
ment of women after o'clock p. NJ in
any place where liquor was sold was un-
constitutional, and then you get the same
courts opinion sustaining the ordinance
| IN Stockton providing tor high license in
| places where women are employed. Then
| think you Will agree with me that l may
be excused from passing an opinion"