St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1908-01-31
SHOULD BE CLOSED.

to be disregard Vi tlS "'ohN' "
the majority of the better class o
the people they have been elected
to serve.
our good mayor thinks he has
scored one against the writer wher
he asserts that we approved the
ordinance reducing the age IRON
ts TO 70 wears. We still believe II
would be better to admit them to
the pool rooms here at the age oi
70 and keep them here than to
permit them to go to Portland
where these dens are infinitely
more filthy than they are here. IL
would be better to keep the boys
here between the ages of 10 and 10
where they can be watched over by
the proper officials and their own
friends than to go to Portland
where they meet with no restraint.
The mayor, we believe too, has
struck the key note when he says
If these places of amusement are a
menace and a nuisance they should
be shut up. We most heartily
agree with him. But right here Is
where the honorable mayor and
city council and your humble serv-
ant part. We believe, and we
think we Judge from experience
and observation that has extended
over more than a quarter of a CEN
tnry when we say that they are an
evil, menace to the morals OF
the city, a nuisance to the better
class of society in general and
according to the verdict
Of the mayor should be shut up.
Nor do we wish TO be misunder-
stood. There is no more harm in
skating or in playing pool properly,
han there is in playing ball or
II is in the association of
.hc innocent young with the vicious
who frequent these places that the
iarm is done. The ruin of Our
Boys and girls is clearly traceable
o these places which are but one
'tcp removed from the saloons
themselves.
II was not the skating rinks,
,ool rooms and bowling alleys
lone we referred To in our article,
'ut to the saloons as they are per-
nitted 10 operate. IL has been but
short time since we saw OF the |
,rcet one evening two young boys,
Iot to exceed IS or 10 years OF age
o drunk they could scarcely walk. |
I is commonly reported all over
he city that certain saloons have
awdy houses over them and gam
ling hells beneath them. We |
ave been told that these conditions
ave been reported to the mayor
nd the city council, but so far
here has been no action taken to
iitigate these infamous practices
7 eliminate them from the city,
nd when the citizens begin to
waken 10 the realization OF their
osition aud demand the first re-
rictive law, their demands are
lade sport OF by our councilmen
nd turned down.
To our good friend Mayor Couch
e would say, Il is not the specific
T OF burglary alone To which we
ld reference, but To those other
orse conditions which exist, that
the immoral acts OF the seven
Dung people sent TO the juvenile
,urt the same week, the drunken
Dys on our streets, which we hon.
'tly believe was the outcome OF
le associations OF these young
,ople in these places of amuse-
ent; their observance OF the ap.
aren't Indifference of the council
} the immoral, indecent unlawful
ractices OF different saloons, and
lcse places referred Ia aud we
slieve that this is but the begin
my, and that il rigid enforcement
stringent laws is not observed, ,
Iese cases OF depravity will be
many times To the ruin ,
81, Johns as a tit place to bring
family, and naturally to the stop ,
lge OF all advancement in our city /
cially, morally, commercially or
herwise, We are glad our mayor 4
ok this matter up. We believe 5
publicity. The more that is q
lown of the conditions as they
list, the greater hope is there for .
remedy being effected, We be- /
We our council, il they will but 4
'p moment and consider the y
Il to which these things all tend, O
II take the necessary steps to u
nedy the evils in these condi- d
ms, without the initiative of our
lzens.