The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-17
Carr Is Father of Measure to Fix
Boundaries of Red-Light Dis
trict in st. Louis.
PREPARING FOR WORLDS FAIR.
Proposed Law Gives Police Board
Power to Determine "Respect-
able Districts" and Makes
Violation Felony.
BY A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

| BY a STAFF CORRESPONDENT.
Jefferson City. Mo-, Jan. 16.-Repressnta
tive Carr introduced bill In the House th!.
| morning which probably will arouse much
discussion in st. Louis 1t Is bill author
! izing the Board of Police Commissioners t
| fix the boundaries of the respectable" dis
| triots In St. Louis and fixes penalties TO,
those of not good character who set up es-
! Establishments within the prescribed limits
| For the last several sessions there has
been a social evil bill introduced regularly
and known the Dewey law. from the
| name of the author of the original bill. Mr.
Carr says that the present bill contains
features of the old Dewey bill and also OF
the Ohio law.
Last year the Board of Police Commits
Sioners in st. Louis attempted to fix dis
trict which should be known as given over
entirely to these houses. Witnesses were
heard by the board and one of the Cath
Ole parishes arose in mass meetings and
denounced the board for considering such
an action, claiming, that the purpose was
to include the parish in the district.
The effort was then made with the view
OF removing the district from the neigh
borhood Of Union Station. The near ap-
proach of the Worlds Fair seemed to
make 1t incumbent upon the authorities 10
do something for the relief of the present
unsatisfactory conditions.
The second and main section of the bill
introduced by Mr.. Carr is as follows
TO PRESCRIBE DISTRICTS.
In every city OF this State. which now has. or
habitants or over, II shall be the d duty Of the the
i.. board Of Police Commissioners on or before the
Of record in the journal OF its proceedings. TO
designate and define the limits OF all districts
within the corporate limits of such cities, which
districts. such board shall lind he generally
inhabited or resided in by respectable and law
abiding people. he nr
Police Commissioners OF any such city. shall
further duty OF such board to Cause the same M 10
be published. together with this act. orce a
paper published in such city: and every per
SON SON who shall set up or keep common gaming
ton within the limits of any such respectable
q district STR after the expiration Of thirty
said order, above provided. shall. upon con-
ss by be y IL ,Ss Sf AND
term OF not less than two nor more than i've
Al intervals Of not less that, four years. from; from
the entry thereof. be revised or modified, or a
in .'a &c na
OF any such district or districts may from time
or new or amendatory order. when published as
above provided for. the original order shall have
purposes, as the original order. revised. modi-
lied or amended.
WORLDS FAIR VISITORS.
,, Last Monday" said Mr; Carr in explana-
Wells. Circuit Attorney Folk, Harry B.
Hawes and one or two Others We were
discussing Worlds Fair legislation and the
social evil was mentioned among other
things. All of those present seemed to be
deeply concerned regarding the present
unsatisfactory state of affairs.
The Worlds Fair will bring millions of
visitors to st. Louis. Vice should not be
Haunted in their faces. Neither should It
present tendency. 1t was suggested, and
was requested, to try to have a bill passed
regulating the evil by giving State sanction
to fixing limits wherein bawdy-houses and
the like could remain. and at the same time
be driven out of other parts Of the city.
Il think that the bill which introduced
to-day. covers the subject. though there
may be minor changes necessary Mr.
Hawes informed me that he thought Father
Cofey and Doctor w. w. Boyd were in ia
vor Of some such measure. think that It
should meet with the approval of legis-
lators. 1t means protection to the residence
districts of St. Louis. as well as insuring a
better showing to Worlds Fair visitors"