The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-12
The Suggestions Of an Es-
teemed Correspondent.
Plenty of Work Ahead for Reformers
in Providence.
The Redemption of Washington Street
and the Upbuilding Of the Town.
To THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

To THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS:
SR-Now that you have manifested
such an earnest effort to suppress legal
lied gambling. and Tor the immediate repeal
of the obnoxious law, we wish you TO take
one more step 10 improve the morals OF our
community. especially SO, as just at this time,
there Is an opening where your usual earnest
efforts can be made To tell for ages TO come.
You very often refer To the Improvement
going on in our city, but never make any re-
ference TO unusually desirable locations In its
most public positions, covered by buildings OF
most unattractive form, and in many In
stances knowingly leased for purposes not
creditable to any high toned professed moral
either. The rents received are the excuse for
the purposes allowed. If you would give US
published list of these owners, and purposes,
1t would serve a good end either by induc3ng
the present owners TO pull down aLu builu
creditable buildings, OF sell to Others who
would build, and have our city go ahead. II
certainly is not very creditable TO have our
very best locations covered by unslghtly
buildings, probably erected by Noah. Let US
devise some way 20 have modern, attractive
buildings In their places. a
Providence Is often referred to as a one
horse town with practically only one business
street, and the rents are now so high there
that very many kinds OF desirable
business cannot ad advantageously be pursued.
A new opening and thoroughfare is demand
ed aud the Widening Of Washington street
provides IL. When the new railroad station
is completed. IL will be appreciated, as 1t VIII
be the direct route; much travel from other
sources must inevitably be there. There Is no
reason why large number of our Westmin-
ster street merchants cannot advantageously
remove their business there, making it veri-
tably a second Westminster. To do this the
whole character and reputation of Washing
ton street must Immediately be radically
changed.
1t Is we'll known fact that, commencing at
the city hall. large portion of the houses on
each side Of the way. and on most of the
streets crossing 1t, are houses OF Ill
fame, and, as a matter OF fact, with
In a radius of about four hundred feet,
there are more than twenty places licensed
for the sale Of liquor without reference to
numerous other places not licensed. whether
this Is the fault Of the law or carelessness or
the license mmissioners we cannot say, but
there most certainly should be some clause
speci ying a good liberal distance from each
licensed place.
Now, Mr.. Editor, you may with your usual
vigorous effort, which tells, have a
clause In the law prescribing a liberal
men of "The Bowery' will be among
the things of the past, and one step will be
accomplished toward making Washington
street a place where respectable women will
be willing to be seen. AS TO these other gross
evils, some strong pressure must first be made
To bear upon the property owners. When
they offer their explanations, that as long as
their rents are paid they ask no questions as
to the purposes their property Is TO be used for
Is quite an admission of evil purposes on their
part. Under the present arrangement II Is no
credit to any one to own property on the lower
end of Washington street
We would suggest that the first act In the
drama would be for The News, acting In con-
cert with the police, to publish COM
plete list of the various owners and agents
OF the properties, and 10 put against each
place what its reputation Is as understood by
the police. Give them a liberal gratuitous
advertisement. and let our citizens know who
they are among us that are responsible for
these brothels. IL, then, the purposes are not
speedily changed, then let US resort TO the
law, and have IL enforced.
Chapter 50 of tue Revised Statutes Of Rhode
Island say:
'SrorroN !. All buildings, places or tene-
ments used ms houses, of ill-fame, resorted to
for prostitution, lewdness, or for illegal gam
ing, - are declared TO be common nuis-
ances.
"sEc. 3. Every person who shall let any
building or tenement owned by him, or unde
his control, for any of the purposes enumer-
ated in Section l of this Chapter, or shall
knowingly permit any such building or tene-
under his control, or who shall after five DAYS
notice from any officer or magistrate of any
such use of said building, or tenements, omit
To take all reasonable measures to eject the
tenant, or occupant from said premises as
soon as the same may be lawfully done, shall
be deemed and taken to be guilty OF aiding in
the maintenance ofsucb a nuisance, and shall
be fined not less than one hundred dollars, nor
more than one thousand dollars, or by i'm
prisonment In the county jail not less than
sixty days nor more than one year."
IL Will be more 10 your efforts than from
any other source that the gambling law will
be repesled, anu IL you will promptly act An
this, additional lsurels viii be gained, and
THE NEws doubly welcomed. We have one
moro suggestion TO offer and that Is, that In
reportine the raids made from time 10 time on
houses OF I'll fame TO add to the names of the
persons captdred. with the locaii m of the
premises, the name OF the owner cf the prop
erty. on of n aasut who lat IL xxx