Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-09
OPINIONS VARY.
Many Citizens Want District Removed
.sysa Ssss sSssary Evil.


ii: Il ss;s ssssary Evil.
The following expressions of opinion
We're made by business men regarding
the red light question today:
Frank L, McGurrin-The red light
district ought to be removed from the
present location. AS things are now,
not only Commercial street, but the
adjoining parts of First and Second
South streets practically, are in the
district, for on these last two streets
are congreg gated saloons and joints that
would leave ut once. IL the district were
moved. The upper part of the business
section OF the city needs the valuable
space now occupied by the disreputa-
Bile joints, for it IS the hardest thing
to secure desirable locations for leslti-
mate business purposes In the COM
lnercial part of the town, and rents
are soaring high in consequence. II
Commercial street and First and Sec.
ond South streets between Main and
state streets were cleaned out Of the
disreputable roosts, much valuable
space would he Immediately occupied
for perfectly legitimate enterprises. /.
am certainly In favor of removing the
''red light" from it's present environ.
ment. to more secluded section OF
the city, II it is to remain within mu-
nicipal limits. But / would prefer to
see it removed beyond the city limits
Tho social evil seems to be a necessary
evil that is, one we cannot get rid of.
And as long as we must have such
things in cur midst. the best plan Is
to centralize it, keep 1t within bounds
and watch it.
Joseph S. Wells--I don't look on the
red light district as necessary. think
it should be eradicated, run out of
town.
j. b. Cosgriff-zt is certainly very
unpleasant state of affairs. There
seems to be so many conflicting opin-
ions, as to what should and what
should not be done, that it Is more or
less .bewildeling. What will come of
1t, don't know. Ii seems as though
we would Just have to wait and let
the problem work itself out,
S. j. Seal, formerly city councilman
at Helena-You can take so citizens at
random, and set them UP in front Of
you, and you will hardly find any two
OF them thinking alike on this subject.
1t is 81 case of ''many men of many
minds" very much in eXtenso. My
experience in the Helena city council
tells me that the best way to handle
this problem is to segregate these
people, keep a complete list Of every
feature connected with this class Of
ebuSilicSs' nav q tSs, Mol ta-> ~ SAi''"
orderly houses, gambling houses dance
halls, slot machines, saloons. and
games OF all kinds; and put it SO high
that the worst elements will be driven
out In Helena, we had a graduated
tax, from 5000 to $500, and in no year
of the four I was in the council did
the city receive less than s14,000-of-
tener more. This money was expended
on the streets which needed improving
very much, and the red light evils We're
reduced to the lowest terms to the
marked qualification OF the better ele-
ment of the community.
Arthur Parsons-upon the assump-
ton that such a thing as the red light
district is necessary, l favor removing
it as far as possible from the thickly
populated centers. IL in the proposed
location the evil can be shut off the
most possible extent from public view,
we'll and good. But it would suit me
il it could be set off outside of the city
limits, say over the river. 1 was in
Idaho Falls recently. where i noticed
a settlement off by itself outside the
corporate limits. i was told that was
the red light district. The people of
Idaho Falls do not want such things
in their midst, and they won't have
them People who want such things
should be compelled to travel TO find
them.
j. NJ. Marriott think more now of
Tom Pitt than I ever did before