The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-21
BATTELL WRITES LETTER
TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE

Chief of Police Browning: Law
abiding citizenship is not complete
without frank and unequivocal an
swers to the questions put by an officer
In the discharge OF his duties. There
fore, since / gained more information
than you did In our brief interview
the other evening, 1 take this oppor-
tunity to supply the deficiency.
A few months ago | narrowly es-
capped riding into an unguarded pit
fall on Twenty-fourth street Investi-
cation convinced me that unnecessary.
dangerous and unslghtly distinctions
are the rule rather than the excep~
tlon. called attention TO the matter
through the press but things grew
worse instead OF better
Owing 10 the discretionary powers
given TO the city council, the ordin-
ance defining street distractions IS a
dead letter or should have put some
prominent citizen In fair way to pay
$4,000 fine and serve thirty days
In jail With defeat staring me In
the face in that direction I resolved
to put a stop to the use of lower
Twenty-flfth street as stable room for
delivery and other rigs with the re-
suit that for three or four nights In
succession said rigs have been conspic-
uous by their absence.
A stroke of the pen-a minutes use
of the 'phono by one In authority
would have accomplished this bit Of
municipal house-cleaning without the
expenditure of penny, The admin
| istration passed up the opportunity and
now all that remains for them to do is
to lock the barn after the horse IS
stolen.
In reply to your query as to my bus
! mess on Electric alley, did not come
In search Of any pal nor In tho
guise Of landlord OF caretaker of the
thriving commerclalism of the place.
/ was there in search of a scourge
which would force the city fathers to
"sit up" and do business with protest
ing citizens.
| You ask my opinion of your con-
duct of the social evil. l understand
that In Ogden we sec exemplified the
recommendations OF the police chiefs
Of the country. Theirs is poor ex-
cuse which is worse than none. II is
entirely out Of keeping with the logic
OF their acts. When workingman is
idle you put him on the rock pile or
give him a "floater" out of town In
effect you say to him: BE idle II
you must, but don't be idle here"
You tolerate If you don't encourage
| the woman TO stay because she is
meat for private and municipal eX'
ploitation. The man is told TO "move
on" because he Is not available for eX-
ploitation.
! There is a suggestive lack OF per
sonal liberty" and competition on the
alley except as between the inmates.
whose motto is, ut does not matter
what you are or what you do as long
as you get the money" Obviously. the
same motto is secretly cherished by
the municipality. Then why not ad-
vertise these concessions and parcel
| them out to the highest bidders2 De.
pend upon it, jealousy and competition
would police the district and exclude
minors and disorder more effectively
than ut present.
Compared with Twenty-fifth street
the alley is consecrated ground. He
who is minus the wherewithal or the
inclination necessary to associate
may not loiter without inviting the
tortures of the inquisition and moral
lecture. On Twenty-ffth street de-
cent people must elbow their way
among loafers of all descriptions and
effect not to hear language which is
not discounted on the alley.
| Along the lines of regulation" why
not put a stop to the use of confec-
tionary stores, saloons and restau-
rants as entrances to the alley? The
outward appearance of decency thus
gained would form a bulwarl1 against
the advancing wave Of prohibition"
/ would not raise hand against
these fallen and defenseless women
nor take their money. They are no
{more nor less than victims of an
economic system charged with "the
good seeds OF its own destruction"
Further than to regret the neces-
slty for the frequent recurrence OF the
first personal pronoun in this commun'
| ication, make no apology for address
| ing It to you. Trusting that in future
we can get the chores done without
calling the roll and spanking each city
father, / remain, (SignedD
EUGENE A. BATTELL,