The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-09
FAVORS HOSPITAL
FOR INEBRIATES
Judge N. B, Feagin Makes Re-
port TO the City Council
Lie ENSE ON SAL OONS
Approves of Action In Chicago of Rails
ing License to $1,000 Per An
num-PoIIce Court
Report.
Lie ENSE ON SALOONS

Increasing the saloon license to $1,000
per annum and applying the FUNDS de-
rived from this source towards the estab-
lsihment of a hospital for the treatment
of inebriates is favored in report which
has Just been made by Judge n. B.
Feagin of the police court to the Mayor
and Aldermen Of Birmingham.
Judge Feagin has made a close study
of this proposition, and he believes that
the plan is feasible. He also favors in
his report the removal of all saloons from
the Stun districts of the city. saying
that in this way liquor would be less ae-
eessible to the weaker members of So
ciety.
Judge Feagin begins his report by re-
viewing briefly the operations of his court
during the month of February when
a total of 300 persons were arrested by
the police department.; 1898 convicted,
sixty-one discharged. and the cases
against 1O4 mol pressed. The increase in
the number of arrests is explained by
Judge Feagin who assigns the going into
effect of the new city code during the
past month as the cause.
January Arrests.
1.-The number of arrests in January last
were 1884," says Judge Feagin in his re-
port. '"rhe going into effect of the new
city code on February 15 put in force
many new ordinances in the matter of
health fire, building and gambling which
have been rigidly enforced, and this has
caused the increase.
''There were 142 men arrested for vio-
lating these new gambling laws, 104 white
men, and thirty-eight negroes. This ordi-
nance against gambling passed by your
honorable body is being rigidiy enforced.
and will tend to lessen the crime and
bring the results you seek.
"There were arrested for splitting on
the street car floors, seventy-three, of
these forty-one were whites and thirty
two negroes. For disorderly conduct, fif-
ty-one were whites and seventy nine
negroes. For drunkenness 20S arrests were
made, of these 147 were whites and fifty
six negroes, nearly twice the number of
DRINKS for January.
1.-THE woeful effects of crime and dis
tress in their various phrases that arise
from the excessive use of alcoholic splr-
its are becoming more evident in the
police court each month. Many of the
children in the Mercy Home in this city,
in the Orphans Home and the Boys In
dustrial school at East Lake came from
homes that have felt the painful Influence
of this evil Besides, many of the OBJ
jects of charity cared for by our phil
anthropic societies are the victims direct
oF fIn nc M
alcoholic stimulants. The latest thought
is to treat drunkenness as a disease, and
not as a crime. That it is a disease pro-
ducing vice as well as a vice producing
disease, that it produces over-stimulation
of the blood vessels followed by a partial
atrophy of the tissues of the nervous sys-
tenn and other vital organs, hence ii
paralyzes the will power and destroys
self control.
The lnebriate.
"The last place for an inebriate Is in
the jail 1t would be wise to establish a
hospital for such persons for physical,
mental and moral treatment. Some cities
put a high license upon the liquor bust
ness so as to make its traffic support Its
victims In such hospitals, and it appears
to me to be a feasible plan for the I'M
fortunates notice in the press that the
City Council of Chicago has recently in
creased the saloon license to $1,000 per an
mum, and Tuscumbia, Ala, is now con-
sidering such proposition. 1t might be
well for your honorable body to consider
such a plan for Birmingham with the
view of staying inebriety.
1.-THE saloons should be kept out of the
Stun districts so as to make liquor less
| accessible to the weakest members OF
society, from which source comes large
| number of the criminals"