The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-08-07
Mayor Splawn Orders the Red
Light District Closed by First
of September
INMATES MUST NOT
REMAIN IN THE CITY
Citys Executive and Chief of Po-
lice After Months of Study of
the Situation Acts Decisively
Thursday


Is also chief of police, has ordered
that the houses in the restricted dis
4 trict close the first of September and
the inmates leave the city and stay
away. The Blair Hotel and the
. other houses in the vicinity which
make up tho so-called restricted dis
trict. have only been allowed to exist
by the authorities on good behavior.
Mayor Splawn had given the ques-
ton considerable study since his cleo
ton as chief executive OF North
Yakima, and the final disposition Of
the restricted evil has been worked
out. He believed in the beginning
that the only solu on Of the question
was the restriction Of the evil and he
still believes so.
Discussed by Civic League
When Mayor Splawn met with the
Civic League, at a dinner given in the
7. M. c. A., on the evening of May
8th, the red light" question was one
of the chief topics of discussion. Its
legality was discussed pro and con
and 1t was decided that the restricted
district had no standing in law.
Mayor Splawn and Commissioner
Redman were guests. The latter ex-
pressed himself forcibly along these
lines and Mayor Splawn declared his
position. The mayor said that he
had been making study of the
question from the time he took office
and he was not sure in his mind what
he would eventually do with the evil
In North Yakima Until he was sure,
Mayor Splawn said, he would keep it
under the closest surveillance, and
when. he had made up his mind he
would act and do so decisively.
Unanimous Approval
The question has been one that
discussed frequently behind closed
doors and the action taken by Mayor
and Chief Of Police Splawn has the
Unanimous approval of Commissioners
Redman and Croker, who will up
hold him in any measure found nee
essary to carry out his order. On
this question, as on practically every
one coming before the commission,
there has been a unanimity of action
that has been most pleasing to the
.peppisf of North { Yalirnas and Of
benefit to the community at large.
: Speaking Of the action taken by
him, Mayor Splawn said: 1T did mot
wish to see this volcano, that might
ct any time break forth in some I'M
expected way, stand as menace to
the city, and have ordered it closed
up, after giving those interested an
opportunity to do as we demanded
they should do-carry on their bust
ness in an orderly manner. Further
more, I do not wish to continue in
the position of seeming to stand be-
hind the business in my official ca
pacity. The position is repugnant to
me.
when the commission came into
office, we found that fines were be-
ing paid by the inmates Of the var
ious houses to the police. These
amounted to several hundred dollars
and went a long ways toward helping
pay the expenses Of the police de-
partment 1 cut out those fines from
the beginning and we have given the
places police surveillance since then
at no cost to the inmates.
"I realize that the whole traffic is
outside the pale of the law, but We
have been following a system in re-
stricting it that has been in use in
the best regulated cities of the coun-
try, where restriction was deemed
better than having the immoral
women scattered throughout the
town. I believe we had it under as
the country. Now we will be up
against the question of keeping it out
of town altogether.
"Hereafter, wherever we find the
evil, we will take care of it strictly
according to the law, and there will
be no let up in our surveillance. No
tice has been given that all the
women of the district will have to
leave town and we mean to enforce
1t. They will not be allowed to spread
over the city and ply their trade IN
the residence section of the city or
dn the lodging houses and hotels.
Incorporated Vice
The New Jersey Investment COM
pany, Incorporated under the laws Of
the state of Arizona, with S. b. VAR
ian, H. c. Brooks and l.. Yen as IN
corporators, owns the blair Hotter
property on South Front street. This
with the other building In the stock
ade and the smaller houses in the
district Whereabouts are all included
In the closing order. The articles of
Incorporation of the company declare
that 1t was formed to buy and sell
notes and mortgages, own property
and carry on general business. Its
nvireipal office is at Phoenix, Ariz.,