The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-26

Strect-Other Matters.
City Council reconvened Wednes-
day night the adjourned session of the
night before and acted on a number
of matters of interest to the city,
most Of them, however, being Of mi
nor Importance.
| When council was called to order
Geo. ID. Levy, Esq, present to repre-
sent certain women Of the city,
was heard on a subject which he had
previously taken up with council and
on which he had asked to be heard
before a full meeting of that body.
He spoke very impressively, arguing
entirely from a sanitary standpoint,
on the evils which would result if
these women of the underworld
were driven from the city. He stat
ed that he knew, from a moral stand
point the practise of having such
houses as these women kept, was
wrong, but he thought that if they
were kept under proper police protec-
ton and the occupants made to OBJ
serve certain sanitary regulatins, the
evils would not be as great as would
be the case when the women were
driven out and conditions were
changed so that there could be
no regulation on the part OF the
police and no sanitary inspections.
He stated that theoretically it was
best to drive out the wo-
men. when past practise had shown
that it was not.
DR.. c. G. Brown, Rev. r. w. Hum
phries, and Mr. H. l.. Birchard were
present to present the other side of
the case. DR.. Brown, at the request Of
Mr.. Levy, made few remarks on the
evils of having bawdy women in the
city. He did not think that
the city officials should counten-
ance violations of the law. Mr..
Humphries and Mr.. G. A. Brown also
Il
ject.
Council after hearing all that those
present had to say on motion of Mr..
Rowland voted unanimously to have
the police enforce the present ordi-
nance against allowing bawdy houses
in the city, and the women were Civ
en- ten days in which to leave.
Mr.. Hurst requested instructions as
To how he should proceed in collect
ing licenses of a part of q year. 1t
had always been the custom up to
last year to allow the license to ex-
tend over for a full year when the
party paid his license for the second
year. a full license being required for
any part OF a year, when the newcom-
ers stay was transient. Mr.. Hurst
stated that he thought this custom,
which had been departed from last
year, was best to follow and it was
decided to allow the refund on Ii
censes. taken on parts of a year, when
the license was paid for the second
year.
Action on the matter Of INSTALLING a
fire hydrant near the gas plant was
postponed until information as to cost
could be secured.
1T was decided to pay the expenses
Of witnesses who had come to the city
from Shiloh to attend a whiskey case
in the recorders court.
A bill from the Sumter Railway &.
Mill Supply Company, for a boiler
compound, which was considered by
Mr.. Rowland to be extremely high
was referred to him with power to
act.
Mr.. Geo. ID. Levy having In his re-
marks before council made the state
ment that the Sunday laws were be,
ing violated Council discussed the
matter and it was decided to give
the police instructions that they
must be more stringent in their eff
forts to enforce these laws.
Mr.. t. l. Reardon. city health off,
Ger, was elected custodian Of the city
hall so that he could see that proper
sanitary rules were enforced in the
building.
| The matter of granting free water
rents to churches and the Y. NJ. C. A.
was discussed fully. Mr.. Jennings
was opposed to granting the free wa
ter to churches, but he thought that
1t ought to be given free to the Y
81. {. a. Mr. Rowland thought that