The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-17
cURFEW IN KANSAS CITY,
The Authorities Assert That 1t works
Well.
(Kansas City Times.)

A marvellous change has been brenob,
about by the sourfew ordinance. who,
has been operative for three months
The law was intended to keep oh,,drer
off the streets at nights, but 1t has beer
more sweeping and far.reaohing in it,
effect. When curfew sounds, not only
children cease their playAand run home
but grown people suspend their socia
gatherings and neighborhood card mar
ties, for parents must put the younge,
children to bed and see to it that tbos,
of larger growth heed the curfew's shril
warning.
The ourfew "bell" which is not bel
ata ali. but one of Mr.. Armour;s bic
whistles. is sounded at clock eacf
evening, and parents, the police. The
teachers the clergy aud, in fact, ali who
have the welfare of the younaster al
heart, are unanimous in pronounoino
it a great moral agent. Street corners
where boys used to loiter and learn &c
chew tobacco and smoke cigarettes are
ow deserted.
Ticktao Is no longer played on the
front windows Of citizens homes. Stray
dogs and homeless cats are more secure
and they ought to be and the number of
broken panes has decreased very materi-
ally. All is attributed to the curfew
ordinance which the city council in its
wisdom passed June 8 The children
have a wholesome dread Of goingssto jsil.
q bugbear In which thcy are judiciously
encouraged; for be the parent ever SO
indulgent he does not exactly yearn to
pay fine of anything less thanss$25 and
costa, which Is the retrlbution prescribed
for violation of the ordinance.
Chief Of Police Serviss says chat COM
plants of mischief usually laid to small
boys have decreased almost entirely since
the curfew ordinance went into effect.
The breaking of windows In vacant
houses, a highly popular depreciation, has
ceased. The chief added; MANY times
the owners Of valuable dogs used te
boys tied tin cans to their petss tails.
Vhis not only offended the dog and its
owner, but number of serious runa.
| ways have been caused by 1t, horses be-
| coming frightened at the spectacle OF g
dog chasing pellmell down the street
| dragging tin can behind him. We have
not had single complaints of this ma
ture this summer, and l attrihu 1t t
| the ourfew ordinance. ] am heartily
in favor of IT."
Regarding the arrests made under it,
the chief said that there had been very
| few. The boys and girls are all familiar
| with the law, aud when Armour's bis
whistle blows at night they disappear tt
their homes. The officers have founi
q few boys on the street after the speoi
fed hour, but so far 1t has never beer
necessary to take any of them before tbs
police judge. They have sent the lads
home, and have never found the SAME
| boy out after O'Clock twice.
| Mayor Twiss andsal theEoouncilmer
agree that in passing this ordinance they
added one thing to their credit. They
claim to have received favorable com
ments from all sources regarding it,
The clergymen are among the hearth
est supporters of the curfew ordinance
The Rev. DR.. Alderman, pastor Of tbs
Washington avenue NJ. e. church, says
the ordinance ia a good one and thai
he has observed the desirable results
from its enforcement. He expresses the
opinion that no CITY should; be without
suoh a law. The other ministers also
cordially indorse it.
A feature of the ordinance is that il
does not prohibit the Children from go
ing errands after dark, but the parent!
can rest assured that since It'd enactment
children sent ON errands at night do no
loitsr on the way.
The Union Signal says the curfew bel
| rings In Oklahoma City at .. m. an(
that the City Council Of Pueblo, Col
has passed law that calls all ohildres
| off the street at p. m.