The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-05-14
COMMONS CLUB
URGES REFORMS
NUMBER OF CIVIC PROBLEMS
DISCUSSED AT MEETING or
COMMONS CLUB LAST NIGHT
JUDGE AMlDoN READ PAPER
WHICH SWEET DISCUSSED.

WHICH SWEET DISCUSSED.
The Commons club took an active
stand last night at its regular meet
ing in urging a number of civic re-
forms and a general discussion follow
ed the reading of a paper on Civic
Improvement by Judge G. #. Amidon
Of the federal court. The question
OF parks and Fairgrounds, rooming
house evils and the congestion Of
lower Front street were all import
ant topics.
1t was a joint meeting of the Com
mons club and the Congregational
brotherhood and followed a banquet
served in the commercial club dining
room. Pres. w, l.. Stockwell of the
Commons club and Pres. ]. H. Shep-
perd Of the brotherhood both presided
for their two respective organizations.
Judge Amidon was introduced and
during his discourse he said:
Talk With Jane Addams.
There has been a great change
within the last few years. / was won-
derfully impressed with a CONVERSE
ton with Miss Jane Adams at a
dinner il the city Of Chicago some time
ago. She said that we have more to
do than to interest ourselves in the
playground, but we need to regulate
the dance hall, the pool and the
skating rink. She told me of the
splendid dancing pavilion they have
erected there and it is in charge OF
the commission appointed to look after
these things and they have overcome
all the obstacles that confronted them
before.
"The subject of regulating these
things by the police force is some
thing peculiar to America continued
the jurist. I'm Europe the police
man has a different status from what
he has in his country. There he lis
one Of the forces for betterment in
the community. What man or what
woman has ever looked upon him as
more than a policeman here? And why?
They are always friendly. They are
always affable. And / presented this
subject during this conversation. She
informed me that the policeman comes
from the educated class and the re-
suit of it is we always have a force
that is with us and not against us
I'VE have fourteen policemen and
are spending S14,340 per year and the
policeman is still doing his work the
same as he has for a number of years
1t leaves the police to operate in q
field entirely different from the one in
which they ought to operate. We
have not directed their energies In
the proper channels. And this is q
body Of women and men who are
capable Of passing Judgment.
Regulate Dancing
There they have people to regulate
dancing. That is just what we need
Dancing is n of the most wholesome
and natural forms of amusement i
put under proper control and properl!
regulated. 1t is an alarming fact tina
"a per cent of the crimes COMMITTEES
are committed by persons under q
years of age.
Here you have a dancing hall al
through the winter that is a positiv,
force for evil. / would like to see /
SO regulated that a woman could q
anywhere in this city and still b,
properly protected. / would like tt
see a man there who does not wear /;
p~oliceman's clothes, who could go any,
where and talk intelligently to anyon,
whether 1t be a doctor or a lawyer d
a minister. We need that kind o
policemen. Let us reduce the poiicI
force and have a police matron. LIE
III use all of our force, every one o
them, to make this a safer place fo1
fathers and mothers to raise thei
children in"
Mayor Sweet Replied.
In discussing Judge Amidon's pa
per Mayor Sweet replied, "JudgI
Amidon has opened a theory of dis
cussion that is so radical a thing tina
I can not readily add anything to tn
subject. 1 am sure, too, that to som
extent, that in discussing theories
there are two opposite things to con
slider. We have struck the moral plan
tonight. I have had a lot of advic
lately and it is advice that / want an
will appreciate. Now the Judge prom
Used that he would come over and tai
with me, but a baseball game inter
fered.
. 'It strikes me forcibly." he contin
: uSus LldI the IOICGS LOT 6N1l are Nv
; times as bad as they were ten year
ago. Political influences and politics
prestige seem to- be operating agains
US. We should have a. better syster
Of solving these problems. If yo
walk down one Of our principal street
and see what ] have seen for the las
few days you would wonder that W
have any city left 1t all. How r W
: going to stop this thing?"
Other Speakers.
Other speakers during the evenin
were Miss Lillian Topping, matron {
the Florence Crittenton home, VIII
J spoke on the rooming house evils an
] the necessity of a police matron; Mis-
J Robinson, the visiting nurse VIII
7 sprang quite a surprise when she toI
of the congestion of lower FroT
street; III. w. Gearey, chairman Of til
! board of park commissioners. who req
Z a report OF that body, and Professc
: Waldron Of the A. G. faculty WI
! spoke on the parks and playground
! In this country and in Europe.