Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-27
GOVERNOR DETAILS
RESULTS OF TOUR
Made Summing Trip Through
Saloons in Company With
TWO Officers.
STARTLING CONDITIONS EXIST
Men and Women Mingle Indiscrim-
inately In Low Dissemination
Mattresses in Foul Greek Resort.

AT meeting of the juvenile court
commission held yesterday in the Of
submitted in writing the results Of
personal observations on his part rela-
tive TO the manner in which saloons.
resorts and some roominghouses are
conducted In this city Conditions
were found decidedly inimical to the
welfare of young people, male and fe-
male, and strong recommendations
were made by the governor for rem
edial measures to be adopted without
delay. The subject was discussed at
length by members of the commission.
GOVERNORS REPORT.
Following is the report as read at
the meeting:
con the evening of Saturday. Feb. %,
in company with the secretary of the
state juvenile court commission and
the chief probation officer Of Salt Lake
county, / made the rounds of II num-
Der OF the saloons and poolrooms of
Salt Lake city. so as TO study at first
hand thu situation as 1t affects the
young people- of our city. 1t was
my first visit to these places, and the
revelation as to conditions existing
there was SO startling that / consider
1t well to call your attention to these
conditions. .s.s.s-..s.
II was particularly struck with the
number OF young men under % years
who frequent saloons and poolrooms.
There We're SO many of them in the
places we visited that / shall not at
tempt to give an estimate MS to the
number. In practically every case
these poolrooms are conducted in con-
nection with n bar or within so easy
access of one that drinking is an al
most inevitable indulgence. And doubt
less the further step is made easy, to
gambling and other forms of vice,
But even this was not the worst
feature. In one or two of the sa-
looms. sitting at card tables and play
ing. were boys a little under Is years
of age. Surrounding them were n
number of human wrecks, men who
are hopeless victims OF Vice and COM
petent teachers of crime. The ultim-
ate fate of boys of tender age who
come into such association cannot be
a matter of doubt Still younger boys
were found on the streets in the busi-
ness districts; and In number of in
stances they manifested n hardihood
in exaggerating their ages that was
remarkable I'm boys so young. 1t
would indicate that their parents were
at least passively In league with their
violation of the curfew law. These
young boys were found In saloons, and
still younger ones on the streets, as
late as IL p. IN. And IL developed that
some of these boys were of Christian
parentage.
AMERICAN GIRL WATERS.
"A still worse feature was found in
a Greek resort on west Second South.
About score of tables were sur
rounded by men In various stages of
lntoxlcation, who were drinking and
playing cards. Profane, blasphemous
and obscene language was being free
~ used. The room was dim with to-
bacco smoke and reeking with the
fumes of beer and whisky. And here,
waiting on these men and hearing their
foul language were two American girls,
one OF whom said she was II, while
the other. II appeared to me, could not
have been more than IA years of age.
Tho sister of the younger, Girl about
10 or II years old was also there; her
sister explaining that she had come to
accompany her home We made our
visit 10 this place about 10 p. m, II
we had not Immediately sent the three
girls home, / do not know how much
longer they would have remained.
"'rhese girls were brought into this
eompanionship by an advertisement in
the newspapers, promising good pay
for light work. one of them informed
us that she was getting 81 week, and
that her employment there was with
her mothers consent. Whether or
not the mother was aware of the char
actor Of the place l do not know. But
II would not take long for such COM
partnership 10 work the complete de-
sttuction of any young girl. / am
Informed that there are in the city
othre similar places, where young girls
are employed and where. IN all likeli-
hood, worse evils prevail than appear
on the surface
I'm two saloons women were found
ns late hs II p. m, in ono case In
private booth connected with n pub
lie saloon. one young woman APP
penrcd 10 be under the influence OF
liquor; and surrounded, as she WAS by
crowd OF young men who had also
been drinking, you can readily under
stand how domoralizing the conditions.
In one notorious roominghouse condi-
lions were round too fllthy To detail to
you. call these conditions TO your
attention for the reason that you are
probably unaware OF some OF these
OWLS; and | think you can 40 a great
deal I'm the way OF helping 10 correct
them
SOMETHING sHoLD BIZ DONE.
II you think tho situation can be
partly met by men IN various districts
being asked to do special volunteer
probation work, both In behalf OF boys
and girls OF juvenile court age and In
behalf of young people who are older,
but may be reclaimed, that might re-
lieve the oYGrworked condition OF the
present officers of the Salt Lake juye-
nile court, then. II the law can be on
forced In such n way as to punish
severely men who employ young girls
In saloons, great deal can bo done 10
correct these evils.
- thank you IN advance for such