The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-23
cURFEw Law IN BALTIMORE.
HoIsau's Christian Temperapce
Union Favors Its Enactment.

u
BALTIMORE Jan. 2&.-Among. the call
crs or Mayor Hayes yes-erlay was a con-
mittee from the local Wosaalr'z Christian
Temperance Union Who besougbt the NAV
or to lend his support 10 the agitation
which the union viii soon undertake in ia
yor Of curlew law in this city The la
dies quoted facts and figures which thew
had accumulated as a result of their in
veatigations. The mayor was impressed
with the array Of statistics, but told the
ladies that he could not decide SO quick
~ what he would do in the matter. He
promised to write TO mayors OF other cities
and see what they had TO say about such
a law and render his opinion after this
personal investigation. In the meantime
ne suggested that the committee call upon
the police commissioners and see what they
have 20 say on the subject as a result OF
their familiarity with the details of police
work
Mrs. Alice c. Robinson. who was one Of
the ladies who called to see The mayor,
said last night:
The ". c. T. L. has been carrying on
the curfew agitation all over the country
ana with most excellent results. Such
laws have been passed in more than 400
towns and cities. several of them wit over
zuUOUo population, and they have more
than accomplished what was claimed for
them We have been working on the mat
ter here in Baltimore for the last year
We have written to the mayors of the
various cities and they are heartily glad
that the law has been passed in their
towns We are going before the police
commissioners to try to enlist their sup
port, after which we shall try a public
agitation of the matter.
We have prepared and are distributing
literature setting forth our side of the
case and are sure that a careful perusal
of the facts in this literature viii con
vince the public that there is more in
our suggestion than il has thought. With
great unanimity the letters received from
cities where a curfew law is in force state
that arrests Of juveniles have greatly de
creased, in many cases there being only
one-fourth as many arrests after the pas
sage OF the law as before
The general scope OF the law which
We want is TO prohibit children under six
teen years Of age to be On the streets
without some special reason after s .. m.
in winter and 9 p. n. in summer
President Upshur, Of the Board Of Pc
lice Commissioners, was asked las. night
for his opinion on such law. He repl ed:
i would not give snap judgment but
While [ have never especially studied the
value Of such laws I have had an idea
that they did not accomplish mucn good
particularly in large cities. The commits
sioners are not to make the law. but if il
is passed we shall see that It is enforced
One argument / have heard against the
idea is that so many children nowadays
arc employed at work which keeps them
away from home until a comparatively
late hour that many of them might be Sc
ricsuly Inconvenience by q law which
compelled them to be at home by a GER
tain time.
Another argument which have heard
is that in the tenement district, where
the people are so overcrowded. the street
is really the only place the children have
TO go. In summer. when the weather
IS so oppressive, the youngsters practi-
cally live in the streets night and day 10
get much air as they can and it would
be hard TO coop them up in their tene-
ment homes.
'On the other hand, such law prop
erly enforced might do a great deal IN the
way Of keeping down juvenile crime and
protecting young girls from the evils OF
being abroad at night l am willing TO be
convinced and shall listen very carefully
10 the arguments CT the ladies'"