Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-29
This Is Ny Life Work, Says
Los Angeles Police Woman
FOE Of EVIL TELLS HOW
She IS CLEANING CITY
Official Mrs. Grundy Declares the
Dance Halls and Picture
Show Are Improved

Al last Ieel Iildl L nave Iouiiu
my life work, declared Mrs. Alice
Stebbins Wells, Los Angeles first po-
lice woman, yesterday.
The conditions and moral tone of the
places of public amusement in Los
Angeles come directly under her su-
pervision and Mrs. Wells passes many
days and long evenings going from one
penny arcade to another, and from the
skating rinks to The dance halls, in
specting the amusements Offered to the
young people of the city
within the last four months we
have accomplished great things in
some of these places, Mrs. Wells con-
tinued. lone Of the dance halls, which
among the many in the city had the
worst name of all, has thrown out
every feature to which we have OBJ
jected Four months ago there was
no limit, apparently, to the license in
this place and the response on the
part of the managers to protests was:
But what can we do? How can we
tell who people are?.'
Not only have we eliminated the
undesirable features of the hall but
we have introduced new customs which
] am sure will prove protective. For
instance, no man is supposed to ad-
dress a girl without an Introduction
by the ushers-a futile rule, you say?
Surely you can see that it is build
ing UP one little barrier between vice
and the habitues of that particular
hall. To the boy or girl without in
tellectual or moral standards and safe
guards conventionality may play vi
tai part.
IN one of the penny arcades the
other day I inspected all the muta-
scopes. There was hardly one that
was not suggestive. OF course we will
have these taken out. AS long as
these places are dependent on the po-
lice commission for the right to keep
their business going they dare not ig-
more our requests.
CONSIDERS OTHERS TASTE
"The only question on my part is
this: These places represent the taste
of the whole community While l
would not permit anything really OBJ
scene, there is much that to my mind
would be Objectionable which is real
ly only coarse, and not that to many
people. We must not eliminate every
thing except that which comes under
the approval of our individual taste"
Mrs. Wells told of one moving pic
ture show which she inspected Satur-
day evening. At first the manager
refused to pass her in on her police
star, saying that any afternoon she
was welcome but that Saturday night
every seat meant nickel.
But Saturday nights and Sundays
are the times when I most need to
study conditions. You can see that
for yourself" she said.
Il can't help it, Mrs. Wells" the
man responded. 1--WE pay your salary
for you and that's all 1 feel called on
to do"
After a little further conversation
the man said that for the purpose of
showing that there were no cOndi-
tions in his place which would not
bear inspection he would pass Mrs.
Wells in. On going in she found seven
rows in the front without single oc-
cupant. 1t is these front seats which
she particularly wishes to observe, for
it is there that the children gather,
leaving their parents further back in
the house. Part of Mrs. Wells duty
is to ascertain that none of these chill
dren, if they be under age, are with
out guardian in the house.
URGES BETTER LIGHTING
"The question of liglt is another i'm
portant one to watch in the moving
picture places. The other day 1 en-
tered a place on East First street, a
place mostly frequented by Japanese.
1t was so dark that 1 had to feel my
way along to find an unoccupied seat.
I could not see whether there was
anyone to right or left for at least ten
minutes. Those places have got to
have more light"
Mrs. Wells misses no chance of study
ing social conditions in every part of
the world. Hearing of a prominent
citizen just returned from European
travels who had interested himself in
economic and social conditions she re
quested an interview with him for the
purpose of learning any way in which
countries abroad may prevent vice The
man declared that there was no place
which he had visited abroad that could
teach Los Angeles anything.
In France, the traveller said, social
conditions are bad and it is openly
laid to the door of the American ira
Veler.
How about London?" asked Mrs
Wells.
THAT was the very worst of all. 1t
is hardly up to Americans to throw
stones at any country, but if it were
to be at any, London would be the
one. OF all the cities I have seen in
my wanderings, Los Angeles is surely
the cleanest."
I'VE are going TO make it a whole
lot cleaner decladed Mrs Wells. "Pre-
vention being so much better than
cure applies to social conditions more
than to anything else
"The greatest trouble, Of course is
that girls do not get living wages and
'-ntil there is a different system for
paying working women my efforts
viii be only a Grcp in the bucket.
what ! need most is someone who
will help me with my police insrec-
ton, for with all this work I have
parl. inspections Sundays and many
other calls on my time from all quar-
ters of the city,