The Detroit times., 1910-08-08
CHAfFEE Is TAKING
AOvAN TAGE or
Boss ABSENCE
pastor Barr Wouldn't Make Such
Unfounded Statements" Declares
Official, Replying To Assertion
That immortality Is Rife Here.
Insists That Police Rigidly Regulate
Saloons and Brothels; Warmly
Praises Juvenile Court.
POLICE COMMISSIONER CROUL.

"Mr. Chaffee Is simply taking ad-
vantage OF Nhe absence of his boss"
said Police Commissioner Croul, Mon
day morning, in commenting on the
statements OF E. B. Chaffee, assistant
pastor of the Jefferson-ave. Presbyter-
ian church. to the effect that Detroit
is in a bad way morally; that the
saloons are allowed to openly violate
the law, and that houses Of ill-repute
are given no police attention.
mr. Barr, the pastor, would never
talk like that" the commissioner con-
tinued, "for he knows that there
would be no ground for such state
ments. This,"-and the commissioner
handed The Times copy of the re-
port of the police department for the
past year-"will show you how we
have watched the saloons. We are al
lowing no saloonkeeper to violate the
law II we can help 1t.
And In regard to the statement that
disorderly houses are allowed to run
themselves, that Is far from the truth.
As a matter Of fact, the regulation
of such places in etroit was never
more severe and strict than at pres
ent, and we intend to continue this
rigid enforcement of the law In regard
to such places.
1T is also nonsense for Mr.. Chaffee
to say that an Investigating commit
tee walked the streets of the red light
district as he calls 1t. from 8 o'clock
Saturday night until / o'clock the fol-
lowing Sunday morning without meet
ing more than one patrolman. The
members OF the committee must have
been inside all that time themselves,
otherwise they would certainly have
met large number Of patrolmen.
Conditions in regard to morality
may be bad in the city, but they are
beyond our Jurisdiction, for the most
part. 1t IL true that many young girls
and boys are behaving badly now
adays, but 1t is the duty of the juve-
nile court to handle such cases. And
LET me, say right here that Judge Hurl-
bert of the juvenile court II doing
much good for the city In his present
Office. He ought to be encouraged,
too, In his efforts to provide probation
officers. Such men are badly needed
for the juvenile work. Our truant Of
ficers can catch the youthful offenders,
but that is as far as they can and
ought to 60. II Is the duty OF the
Juvenile court to deal with them after
we get them.
I'm some large cities they have a
system which seems to work we'll,
namely the sending Of Juvenile disor-
derlies to big school, where they
not only have to attend school, but
work as well. That seems to have a
reforming effect, much better than the
industrial school. don't believe that
an industrial school does any boy or
girl much good.
THE parents OF the children have
q big duty to perform in this regard,
too. They should do more, perhaps,
than they are doing. and should show
more interest in what the police and
Juvenile court are doing to care for
the hayward youths. A an instance
Of the lack OF appreciation shown by
some mothers, just want to tell you
that, some time ago one of our patrol
men took seven young girls from q
boat house on the east side. The
girls were taken home to their moth.
ers and not one OF the latter even
thanked the officers.
"The problem of looking after juve-
nile disorderlies 10 big one and the
Juvenile court cannot be helped too
much by the philanthropic persons Of
the city. It Is going to be one Of the
biggest problems of the age to deal
with, and the juvenile court wants
much money and many men to cope
with the work. Personally the juve-
nile court has my hearty co-opera-
ton"
The police department report show
ed that during the past year 26S COM
plants were made against saloon
keepers for keeping open on Sunday;
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