The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-03
OPPOSE LICENSING OF
CRIME IN SALT LAKE
System of Fines Imposed Upon Women and Cam
bers Denounced by Ministers of the City
Necessity For Increased Police Force and Enactment of Laws For
the Protection of Boys From Evil Influences

ITICE in the city. and ways an,
Y means of controlling it, forme,
topics of lengthy discussion at {
special meeting of the Ministerial al.
lance yesterday afternoon. Con
ditiOns as they have been seen were
described by witnesses. Lack of suf-
ficient police protection was thorough
" discussed and especial attention was
given to the fine system imposed upon
women of the lower classes and gam
blers in the city. The trend of all
opinions was that the fine system was
nothing more than a license for vics
and crime, given under the cloak Of
the law
After all matters had been discussed
1t was the sense of the meeting that
an increase in the police force should
be demanded, that the fine syst an
should be abolish I'd or changed. arI
that laws should be enacted WHEREBY
Children should be kept from the con
terminating influences. such as the Vic
tor1a alley developments show they are
exposed to.
No definite action was taken by the
ministers, but further evidence is to be
gathered and the steps to be taken
viii be determined upon at a later
date. IT was deemed wise not TO call
the proposed mass meeting yet but to
continue work quietly and see what
can be accomplished through the city
council before the matter is carried be-
fore the general public at a mass
meeting.
Conditions in Victoria Alley.
When the meeting was called Rev.
hn
pointed upon a committee to make the
rounds of the tenderlOin district a
Few nights ago. reported that the COM
fnittee had visited Victoria alley. He
stated that they had to admit that the
conditions found there were fairly
good IN comparison with like places
In other cities. He stated. however
that an officer told the committee that
the Improvement was the result of the
expose made through The Herald and
that It was but a temporary improve
ment. Mr.. Simpkin said then that in
order 10 get at the exact conditions
In the place he had asked persons who
had investigated the conditions there
TO appear before the ministers and tell
just what they had seen in the alley
and other places, especially in regard to
the presence of boys in Victoria alley
and the fine system imposed upon wo-
~ - tASSt uliC4S anu places
Boys in the Alley.
In telling of the conditions they had
seen there these witnesses said thew
had noticed boys both of the street
Arab class and schoolbOys. in the
doorways of the places and talking to
the inmates of the resorts, who sat at
their windows or stood in the door
ways, dressed in an indecent manner.
FThey had not seen boys inside of the
houses but had been told by some of
the women that boys did visit them.
1t was stated that the inmates of
these places solicited from their win
dows and from the stairways of their
houses, and some of the ministers said
they knew that TO be the case them
selves.
The fine system was then brought IN
through questions propounded by some
sef the ministers. The ministers were
INFORMED that each woman of that
character was required to paw fine
OF $40 each month. II was pointed ont
that the women are not arrested in the
regular manner and taken into court.
put are notified by an officer once a
month that their fine is due. Each
woman IS then expected to report at
the police station without further no.
uee and pay to the desk sergeant ber
SIC. which is marked down as bail ard
the woman is allowed TO go. The next
day the name of the woman is read in
court, and the $40 is ordered forfeited.