St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-11
CHIEF SMITH REPORTS
On the Police Departments Work
Social Evil Discussed.

Social EVIL DISCuSSeu.
Chief of Police Smith has prepared
his annual report for the year 1894,
showing the appropriation OF the year
to have been S21S,OOO and the total ex-
penditures to have been s217, 41642; the
toIal,value of property in the depart
ment to be S95. $50; the number of ar
rests to have been 5.155, and the total
amount of fines collected, S3S ,099.39.
FirSt-He recommends the creation
by the Legislature OF police pension
fund for the retirement OF members on
pension after certain number or years
of service: that an ordinance be passed
prohibiting meetings held Iii the streets
of the city, unless special permit be
gained from the mayor. the same to
apply to public parades; and that an
ordinance be passed prohibiting ped
oilers OF all clalSeS from plying their
yocatlons on Washington avenue. be-
tween Fourth avenue south and First
avenue north: on NicOlIet and Hen
nepin avenues, between the union depot
and Eighth street.
The fourth recommendation is unique.
yet very important 1t says: Il notice
that certain class of polite confidence
people are lncI easing very rapidly IN
this city. and shnuld-if for reYende
only-be licensed. l refer to the clair
YOyants. whose signs hang out all over
our city. If this class of people, who
prey upon the weakness OF deluded
mOrtals, were any benefit to the city
there might be some excuse Tor permit
ting them to do business without a
license, bnt they are not. Most of them
are adventuresses of the worst type.
and should be driven out if possible; II
that cannot be done, then they should
be regulated by ordinance.
The Social Evil.
From time to time" says the chief,
this department has been criticised be-
cause of its ostensible neglect in regu-
lating the social evil. | have no doubt
these criticisms were made with view
of betterlng the moral condition Of our
city. No one knows better than the
police department how difficult it is TO
control this evil. The best than can be
done is to keep it within certain limits.
and under the stricteSt possible
police surveillance. Undoubtedly a
large majority Of our people are lgno-
rant of what has been done to control
and regulate it, as we'll as to drive
out sO-called "blind pigs" For the
benefit of those who interest them
selves in these great problems of mu-
nicipal government, let me say that
during that past year S686.73 were eX@
pended by me IN obtaining evidence
against common prostitutes. unrecog~
nZed houses of i'll fame. running under
the guiSe of candy stores; gamblers,
Illicit liquor dealers and other crlml-
mails; and on this investment 263 per-
sons were arrested, and paid fines into
the police court aggregatiug S4,666.
Employment Agencies.
Dealing with this important subject
the superintendent says: During the
year a great deal of fraud has been
practiced by some of the prOprietOrs OF
employment bureaus upon men seeking
work at their hands. While the law
governing this line of business imposes
heavy penalties upon those violating II,
still many poor men have been
victlmized during the year by these
Yultures. The only remedy that
can see for this growing evil lies in the
abOliShing of the present law and en-
powering some department of the clty's
government to take charge OF this bust
ness. To this end | would recommend
that our legislative delegation take this
inter up and pass a law that will drive
out those sharks"
Closing with the above subject, the
report then goes into the statistics OF
the department, first thanking ali con-
nected with it for their efficient SER
vices during 1894.