The Washington times., 1911-12-14
PASTORS URGE TAFT
I TO ASK COMMISSION
: FOR STUDY Of VICE
Ministers Want Body Similar
to Ones Named In West
Il ern Cities.

A body Of Washington ministers called
upon President Taft today and urged
him to support a movement for q vice
commission in,this city. They said the
"red light" district was now moving on
the Capitol and that the fact was an
insult and dishonor to the nation.
:, The ministers denounced the proposed
s Segregation idea. They said that vice
commissions had already investigated
segregation and had found It a bad
Spolicy for any city.
I'M In the party which called upon the
President today were the Rev. Paul r.
Hicks. the Rev. Wilbur T. Crafts. the
Rev. UonaldsaC Macleon,i the Rev. T.
Davis Richarda, the Rev. ]. w. r.
Sumwalt, ana Andrew Wilson. They
talked to the President for fifteen min
utes, after presenting their written Pc
utions. Ae E
In this conference the ministers said
It would aggravate the social evil to
segregate It. One of the ministers said
that IL the evil must exist, it would
be better scattered than 1t would be
Il placed In an area to itself. He spoke
Of personal experience where a house
next door to his own was involved.
4 The whole appeal today was for vice
Z commission. The ministers said 1t
would be impossible for the police to
work more effectively until the evil was
/, carefully studied and the experience of
other cities with the same thing applied
to conditions in Washington. The Presi-
dent promised to take up the proposal
Tat once g @r ET -
"The unders4sned earnestly caii your
4 attention 70 the fact that the 'red
on the Capitol-an. insult to Congress
and a dishonor to the nation, especially
as official Segregations Of vice have
been abolished by q successful fnjunc-
Iowa, and have been condemned by i'm
partial vice commissions recently in
Chicago and Minneapolis, as you will
see by extracts on the enclosure.
1--WE suggest that a vice commission
he appointed for the city Of Washing
ton, to srecomMe nd some practicable ac-
ton dn ms subject Which, since the
ATTENTION. Of the country in the the Gov @
ernment immigration reports and In
vestigatfons of the white slave traf-
flee. has challenged increasingly the
Thought OF many Of our wisest men:
policy in the country on this matter.
land the Capital City ought to be in the
after run eonsideSatioh. 81 1ess Ss unaiaimous
vote, by the Presbytery of WASHINGTON.
representing, BY clerical and lay dele
gates, all the Presbyterian churches Of
the District Of Columbia.
ia PAUL r. HICKOK.
,t Moderator.
WILBUR F. CRAFTS.
,,l.,a.irp! irp9HAhP nAH15 RiicfRfxRps'a ei RsiaasSap'
/ The Internatiopal Reform Bureau put
IN the Following petition:I.5-s IT
:, ssThe International Reform Bureau, by
unanimous vote of its trustees. au-
itthorizes its superintendent, DR.. w. F.
Crafts, and its secretary, DR.. D. c.
Macleod, to act as deputation to
ask you to appoint vice commission
for the District. to inyestigate present
conditions IN, the District, and the best
methods 1nNsDe anywhere Tor repressing
or suppressing vice.
"Such,a commission has not been con-
sidered in other cities as a criticism of
city officials, but rather has proved q
means of educating public sentiment
drastic repression by the mayor has
since been found practicable; and. in
the case Of Minneapolis, the mayor has
been encouraged to continue an anti.
segregation policy previously adopted"