Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-14
ASK VICE Be PR0BED
Churchmen Petition President
to Appoint Commission.
DELEGATION GIVEN HEARING
Social Evil Described as Needing
Prompt Attention.
PRACTICABLE ADVICE SOUGHT
Taft Told Plan Has Been Successful
Elsewhere-May Discuss Sub
ject in Message.
PRACTICABLE ADVICE SOUGHT

Prominent Washington people today
| asked President Taft to appoint a vice
commission for the District Of Columbia
to study and report to him and Con-
gress upon the social evil in this city,
which was described as becoming so seri-
| Gus as to need prompt attention.
Petitions and letters from religious
and other bodies in the District were
presented to the President backing up the
request for the appointment of such a
commission, a policy the President was
told which has been pursued with sue
cess in Chicago, Minneapolis and else
| where. In Iowa. he was told, there is a
state law dealing with the question.
One of the papers left with the Presi-
dent states that the Presbytery of Wash
| ington, representing all the Presbyterian
churches of the District, by unanimous
vote, Endorsed the request for the naming
of a vice commission.
This petition goes on to say that the
red light district of Washington is
moving on the Capitol-"an insult to
Congress and a diShOnOr to the nation,
especially as officials segregations OF vice
have been abolished by a successful in
junction law through the whole state of
Iowa and have been condemned by i'm
partial vice commissions in Chicago and
Minneapolis
Seek Practicable Advice.
The petition suggests a vice commits
sion here that will recommend some
practicable action on this subject. which
has challenged increasingly the thought
of many Of our wisest men. Manffestly
there is a change of policy in this coun-
try on this matter, and the capital city
ought to be in the lead
The appointment of vice commission
has not been considered in other cities
as criticism of city officials. but had
proved a means Of educating public senti-
ment and the bringing about of drastic
repression.
the President that segregation is no long
er a benefit to mankind and does not
segregate- The charge was not made that
in the District segregation is practtced
to the contrary, while there is some
segregation near the Capitol the social
evil extends throughout the city and
should be repressed. Many instances uf
city by undesirable persons were told to
the President.
The idea of the delegation was that II
the social evil is scattered and then fol-
it will be minimized to a degree not here
tofore known.
No Precedent for Appointment.
Members Of the commission were asked
how they proposed to have a vice COM
mission appointed-by act of Congress or
otherwise. They believed Congress would
not authorize such a commission. and felt
that President Taft could find some way
of naming a commission and paying its
way from some appropriation at his dis
pOsal. They were reminded that Presi-
dent Taft had declared himself opposed
to appointing commissions without au-
thority of Congress. which alone had the
power to make appropriations. but one Of
the members said the President had ap-
pointed the postal commission without
authority of law.
In this. however, he was mistaken. 1t
was pointed out. as the commission was
legally provided. The President has never
appointed commission of any kind for
which he did not have authority
The President told the delegation he
would consider the papers submitted, and
1t may be he will discuss the subject in
his District message. and make recon-
mendations to Congress.
The delegation consisted of Rev. Messrs.
Paul r. Hickock, Wilbur F. Crafts. Don
aid c. Macleod. and 4. Davis Richards.
representing the Washington Presbytery.
and Rev. ]. w. r. Sumwalt and Andrew
Wilson. representing Methodist churches
that are taking up the question.