Evening star., 1901-04-03
REFERRED TO ATTORNEY
REGULATION GOVERNING THEATER
LICENSES TO BE FRAMED.
Report of Chief Sylvester of Police
Department Regarding the
Laws i'm Force.

The District Commissioners today refer
red to their attorney a report submitted to
them by the chief Of police, showing the
laws in force in a number of cities relative
to the licensing of theaters and the reguia-
tions governing the same, with request
that their legal adviser prepare form of
regulation to be adopted here. 1t will be
recalled that Congress, during the last few
days of it's recent session, passed a Dill
regulating theater licenses In the District,
and authorizing the Commissioners to re-
woke the license granted theater where
performances are given which violate pub
lie decency.
In submitting his report, the chief of po-
lice explained that the difficulty heretofore
encountered by the police authorities mere
has been the want of law or regulations
whereby they could proceed against the
owner, lessee or manager OF place OF
amusement, or against persons part1clpat-
ing performers thereat unless there was
an indecent exposure of person, as general
ly accepted by the Police Court, or an In
dulgence in profane or vulgar language.
The proposed regulations which the recent
act of Congress authorizes the Commission
erS to make. thinks the chief of police,
should cover words. actions or displays on
the part of participants or exhibitions
which might be construed as indecent or
immoral, or be readily suggestive of inde-
believes should be given as to what would
constitute an indecent or immoral sugges-
tfon or act. In this connection. he invites
attention to the law in force in New York.
The act of Congress, after mentioning the
aters, includes 'other public place of
amusement and the chief thinks it would
be well to enumerate in the proposed regu-
lations of the Commissioners what this
clause includes.
Law in New York.
The New York law referred to by the
chief of police is section 3S5 of the penal
code of that state, and defines a public
nuisance being "a crime against the
order and economy of the state, and con-
sists in unlawfully doing an act or oE,itting
to perform a duty, which act or omission
% annoyS, Injuries or endangers the COM
fort. repose, health or safety of any con-
siderable number of persons, or 90 Cffends
public decency," etc.
The act of Congress referred to provides
as follows: "That any license issued by
the assessor of the District of Columbia to
the proprietor of a theater other public
place of amusement in the District of Co
lumbla may be terminated by the Commits
StonerS of the District of Columbia when
ever it shall appear to them that, after
due notice, the person holding such license
shall have failed to comply with such regu-
lat1ons as may be prescribed by the said
Commissioners for the public decency."
1t Will be observed that the only penalty
imposed by the act for violation of its
provisions is the revocation of the license
granted the proprietor of the thaater Or
other public place of amusement, and 1t is
claimed by some persons who have OK
amined into the matter that there is moth
ing to prevent the proprietor of such place
OF amusement upon the revocation of his
license, to at once obtain a new one. In
other words. it is claimed that the only
penalty is the loss of the amount paid for
the license revoked.