New-York tribune., 1909-05-22
coNEY ISLAND PROTEST
,cc MEETING APPEALS
TO THE MAYOR.
uoc1elIan Says Enforcement OF
Io,ps Is Up to the Police and
Indicates No WGUer1ng


49,. than four hundred persons attenoeo Q
o.+ing at Stauch's Casino. Coney lslano'
-;ght 10 protest against the str1ct ENFORCE
. =, the laws there, as outlined oy mayor
-.or-1.Jlsn. The meeting was held unoer the
1i.es Of the s1st Ward Board OF TRADE OF
80 torrner Judge Owen F. Finnerty is presl-
dent eoo+,o, ose of the
r,o5e which he said was put on the statute
80 -nanv years ago. when there was HO
.-,sernent place bigger than q batn tuo- no
.-..-shad the Coney Island Of to-day as d srea'
-, air camp-an out-of-door sanatorIunl'
- chairman said that he had been in con-
--,I.s+ion with the Mayor IN the nOrlii4s' 0--.
So, What the Mayor said, he believed ne "ouiU
- .orosvvhat 70 the wishes Of the people
-,.so1r+ions were read and signed by COM
.,o+ z,ir visit the Mayor this morning
- that he defer the strict enforcement Oh
aS1--9 I1-s until g. test case can beprepared-
- Mcclellan said after conference
-, with Police Commissioner Bingham
t,a enforcement Of the Sunday Ia" at
Ito' - Tr,an5 VAS wholly IN the hands OF the
police -, .t. ,z,.cra+3on
.-ba nolioe are-vested with~certain -dlscre
o-srs and they Will have to use those
-,rs-s" said the Mayor. mo DEFINITE lnsu u0-
,s,,s so far as know, have been given 10 'lIe
- .,+ assume that the police officials
80 -ead I'D on the Sunday law, and a4so eA
,-,ned the decisions Of Justices carr AH0
1-o-,es with reference TO common SHOWS Oh
Sunday conez,
eTs II true that the new policy toward ConeS
- ,pov,s Is due TO the conflict in the moving
picture decisions? ,.,.,o,,
.-ves said the Mayor. ''The Thomas decision
common shows for more than six days and the
g. decision says In effect that cannot inter
g. -z,+, the Sunday shows, but must ENFORCE
a.. -o,-,s,ons OF the Penal Code with reference
10 Sunday Observance.
.sFzov soon will the police know just what
to do7"
.rTbs actions begun by the moving picture
-,sr have not yet been reached IN the Appellate
Division" H..
magistrates at once dismiss the prisoners
.cIf the magistrates do not faithfully perform
their sworn duty. It VIII befhe duty OF the Dls
trict Attorneyvto present the matterto the grano
tury- .,.4
II is becoming more andmore apparent tli5I
.hs Msvor. having taken g. stand with reference
70 common shows on Sunday at the instance Oh
the law and order and Sunday observance IN
He shutdown on giving the moving picture men
licenses for. seven days IN the week because ie
WAS shown that some Of the picture men were
disnlavtnT.p .pictures Of questionable character.
The issr,e Soined between the Mayor and the
moving ricture men was carried to the courts.
One Supreme Court, Justice ruled that ne couio
NOT give. licensessfor Sunday shows and enother
decided that he could not interiors but most
upheld the provisions OF the Penal Code Win
reference TO Sunday Observance The cooe says
scoordingto the Mayor, that all shows generauy
known ascnmmon shows. such as Ferris wheels
scenic railways, roller coasters, chutes- ana the
ike, cannot exhibit on Sunday. II now remains
TO be- seen what the Appellate Division will say
Ths Luna Park licenses are mostly from
early June while the Dresmland licenses date
for the most part from June %. There is
thirty days grace clause in the yearly licenses,
which may give show owners chance TO open
Sundays for time at least
Commissioner Bingham made it clear yester-
day that Coney Island would have the lid down
tomorrow tight his policemen could
fasten It He stated that there would be an
extra force Of plainclothes men at the island.
and particular attention would be paid by them
to the Bowery shows.
He refused TO answer a question as to wheth-
er or not he intended to close UP the saloons
and hotel barrooms at the island He declared
that the police inspectors had their instructions
and would obey orders strictly.
''The law is the law" he said, with emphasis,
-and the law Will be enforced"
William Il Reynolds. president Of the Dream
land Company, who went abroad about month
ago, returned yesterday on the Mauretania-
much perurbed over the screwing- down Of the
lid" st Coney Island Said he:
Il is an outrage TO keep people from enjoying
themselves IN an innocent ana harmless way.
What VIII the Mayor and the Police Commits
sioner do next? Sunday is the poor mans day
tae only day he can take his family out for
en1oyment-and It is not fair that the enforce
fnent OF OLD blue laws should stand between
tnem and their Sunday pleasures 1 shall do all
u my power to prevent the enforcement OF these
HnuQuated laws, which have made our
cestors & mark OF ridicule, and know shall
nave the moral support Of every fair minded
man