The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-22
The City Council Discuss the Question Of
Enforcing the Sunday Law.
The SYSTEM In VOGUE ABOLISHED
Statements by the Chief of Police and Two
of the Coinmissioners-The Report
That Policemen Watch Private
Property Inquired Into-The
Sfar-Chamber Sessions.

1
pin, Of the Board OF Aldermen, was in
| the chair, ana Captain Alexander Coke,
the codifer. recorded. while sergeant-at-
Arms X. X. Rqlston acted as readiiig
| clerk. An invitation had been extended
l TO the Board of Poles Commissioners TO
attend The m-rtngs and Messrs. j. ".
Laube. II. A. WeinDrunn, and J. H. welsh
responded. Chief Of Police Howard was
also on nand
Mr.. Archer Anderson, Jr., appeared be-
I fore the committee and presented an ordi-
| nance which provides that no bill-poster
/ snail be allowed TO do business IN this
! city unless he pays license tax Of 30.
lie called attention TO the fact thai the
measure was intended to prevent circus
| and other shows 10 senq Irresponsible
! men here TO paste their bills wherever
| they please. without paying any license.
| Ihe ordinance also prohibits the dis
tributinR OF hand-bills and throwing them
! into front yards.
Mr.. Bioomberg spoke al some length on
| the subject, and first moved that the
| license tax be reduced 10 SO. in order
/ 70 allow others TO so into the business,
! but he finally withdrew that motion for a
| 500.
Messrs. Keyersahl and Burton. who ap-
pearcd before the committee. said that
! they were the only licensed bill-pOsters.
and that they, together with Mr. Thomas
Leath, own all the Dil-boards IN this
city.
Mr.. Bloomberg's amendment was then
| lost. and Mr. Wallerstein Offered as an
amendment that each employe or a bill
| poster be provided with a badge This
was agreed to, and the ordinance was
! adopted as amended
THE INFORMER CLAUSE.
| The committee then took up the question
| whether the informer clause should be re-
| tained in the chapter which treats on tne
| violation OF the Sunday law. The Chair
stated that the members OF the Board OF
Police a
Police had been invited TO be present at
this meeting. when the motion would be
made 10 reconsider the vote by which the
| infOrmerS' clause had been adopted. on
that occasion q member OF the Council
stated that ne had been Informed by the
Chief OF Police that the Board or Police
Commissioners had instructed the MEM
bers Of the police force not 10 report per-
sons whom they saw on Sundays 20 I'm or
out Of a saloon. The City Attorney had
then said that if such Instructions had
been given. as he also had been informed,
was the case, the only remedy 10 stop the
evil was by the Introduction of the in
formers system. Ii was then decided TO
discuss the question with the Police Com
missiOnfrs at the next meeting.
Chief Of roiice Howard. who was then
invited TO make a statement, said. Il Will
say mat about twelve months ago the
Police Commissioners passed a resolution
in regard TO the summOnlng Of persons
going in and out OF restaurants. The reso-
luton created a considerable stir among
pointed a committee. who waited on the
commissioners and stated that the resOlu-
tiOn greatly injured their business 1t
appeared that IN summer time. while "A
good many families were out of town.
business men who were compelled to take
their meals in a restaurant had been re-
ported for going IN and out OF such places.
The commissioners therefore rescindcd
that resolution and since / am Chief Of
Police no instruction has been given 10
resurrect that resolution. The men on
the police force were instructed al the
time mentioned not 10 report persons
whom they saw enter or leave restaurants
on sundays"
Mr.. Briggs wanted to know how the
members Of the police force did find out
violations of the sunday laws.
The Chief Of Police said. I'VE get az
them in any way we can. The men 90
after such places not In uniform. but IN
citizens clothes They have the same
power as II they wore uniforms. because
they have their badges. They cannot 20
around in their uniforms. because they
would easily be recognized by spoilers
from distance. and IL would then be
hardly possible 80 report any violations
Of the sunday law"
OPPOSED TO THE SYSTEM.
81 am opposed 10 the informers' svs-
tem, the chief Of Police continued Il
think the police force can enforce any
law hut IN regard 10 the SUNDAY law our
power is limited. The existing law Is not
sufficient. II should allow us 10 enter
restaurants and bar-roOms, and / an In
favor Of an amendment 10 that effect. so
that we could force our way into q saloon
If we deem IL necessary and We think the
sunday law Is being violated We have
at present no authority 20 arrest parties
Tor selling liquor on sunday 7 am op-
posed 10 infOrmers. because I think tlnf
people who are willing 10 90 around and
report everybody cannot be trusted. I
believe that a great many saloons still
Keep open on Sunday although they have
no restaurant connected with them"
COMMISSIONER LAUBE.
Police Commissioner Laute nOxt al-
dressed the meeting. lie said the resi-
l9'ion referred 10 about the fummonins
Of persons who entered restaurants ON
sundays nad been favored in his absence.
lie mad no one 20 wait on linn, but pc
was the one who caused that resolution
TO be repeMed. majority Of the liquor
dealers. who were licensed lived in lie
same houses where they dd their nusi-
ness. and tie enforcement OF such
resolution was therefore, a great hard
ship 10 them. II their business was iso-
iated, such resolution wOIld be pro-
per one, but Inasmucn as these houses
were also habitatiOns. the policemen could
not discriminate. and Ec, tnefeIOic,
considered the resolution as mdniicstiy
unfair, and caused Il to be resctnded. IL
was the aim OF the Board OF tOmnlla-
siOners TO enforce the law. Under Major
Poe from 90 TO 125 bar-roOms had neen
reported annually durng tne last year
for violating The sunday law. Inc com
missioncrs had ever been mindful 10
carry out that law. but they had TO con-
slider both sides of the question and IL
would not be wise to allow policemen 10
make "A distinction. 800
policcmen should exercise their discretion
In regard TO the reporting Of persons
whom they saw 80 In or out of bar
MIR Blake thought the proper thing 10
do was 10 pass a law which imposed a
fine of 500 for the first violation Of the
Sunday law, and which provided for the
taking away of the license when the
next violation had been reported.
Major Howard here stated that the
members Of the police force had been on
the lookout for such violations during the
forty-ninc violations OF the sunday laws
by liquor dealers had been reported. In
each case where a conviction had been
secured a fine OF s25 had been Imposed IN
the Police Court and "A fine OF SO in ad-
dition in the Hastings Court, with costs
aCded. which made the amount In that
court about t2i or S2i.
ENFORCE THE LAW.
Mr. Snead said the question was with
him, how much discretionary power the
police commissioners Rad. He did not
think that there was an honest bar
keeper in this city who was either
man who obeyed the law and shut
up his place on Sundays, had no more
fear OF an inol mer or a policeman than
If they were not In the land. Some bar
keepers In this city would not care how
much reward was given 10 an informer,
because they obeyed the law.
As a citizen. more than as coun-
H.. lAu .4H ~. To-