The Detroit times., 1913-11-04
Tells Church Class Mayor Could
Have Defeated Dance Hall Or
dinance by Raising His
Finger"
ADMITS THREAT NOT TO
ENFORCE MEASURE ERROR
THAT Was One of My Mis-
takes" He Observation-Disclosures
'Practical Politics

Police Commissioner Gillespie
Opened up" before the Business
Mems Bible class Of the First CON
grcgational church, Sunday noon,
with frank discussion Of the affairs
OF his department. dealing especially
with his saloon policy. which he ex-
pounded and defended vigorously.
Briefly outlined. this policy. al ~
the number of saloons and the elimi
nation OF all illegal sales OF liquor
thereby making the licenses too val
liable for holders to risk losing them
by violations OF the law.
The evils OF the present situation
he declared. are due largely 10 the
little significance attached TO licenses
and the poverty OF saloonkeepers who
are compelled, he said. to keep open
on Sunday to make living
The commissioner also gave some
inside history" Of the vice crusade,
and touched upon the Vernon dance
han ordinance, admitting his mistake
in threatening not to enforce Il un.
less abuse" OF Mayor Marx stopped
We all make mistakes" he said.
That was one OF mine The state.
trent was made under provocation.
but | never really had any other no
tion than OF enforcing the ordinance
While am on the subject. let me
say that Mayor Marks veto was the
expression OF personal opinion and
that alone. II he had sought TO make
" an Issue, he could have defeated
the measure two 10 one by raising his
hnger For. II you don't already know
II. ne has an efficient machine and
every member of II Is loyal.
MY own personal view OF the
dance hall ordinance is that Il Is one
Gil"
incidentally. the commissioner nut
sin defense of machine politics
The difference between the prac.
lical politician and the good citizen
Is that the politician gets out and
helps elect his friends to Office, while
the good citizen contents himself with
wishing them WELL" he said.
That only illustrates how much
more effective machine control of city
anairs Is than would be a regime OF
the other sort. Machine government
Is doing today things for the better
ment OF civic conditions which would
not have been thought OF FIVE years
ago. Detroit Is to be congratulated
on having such a government"
The commissioners began his dis
cnssion Of the saloon question with
the declaration that he was not afraid
On tny
Sunday closing OF saloons is com
ing and II Ia coming soon." he said.
But the saloOnkeepers are not TO be
made good by convictions or by using
club on them. The change must
come by the removal of evils which
have existed for many years.
We must look at the question from
all sides to get an effective solution
The saloonkeeper is poor. That NAV
not sound reasonable to YOU, but Il
Is true. The big liquor interests may
have all the wealth that you would
credit 20 them. but the money doesn't
belong to the saloonkeepers. They
are 40 Door that II Is absolutely nee
eesary for many of them to keep their
places open on Sunday to support
their families.
I'm the first place, there are 500
too many saloons in Detroit The
men must compete with one another
and fight against clubs. blind pigs.
dance halls and other channels
through which liquor Is obtained.
Thus each one OF them has hard
fight to get along.
by reducing the number of sa-
looms and protecting them from illegal
competition, We will make the H.
censes worth $4,000 apiece. When
that time comes a man will not light
" endanger a $4,000 asset by Sun
day violations Of the law Licenses
are worth $4,000 in Boston and they
have no trouble there.
THE saloon situation in Detroit II
better now then year ago and has
been improving for several years. n
Is getting better automatically regard.
legs of whether | am commissioner,
or you or someone else is"
Mr.. Gillespie said his vice policy
was forced on him by circumstances.
and that although II was an unwise
political move. even the police ON
GERS who were dubious about It's sue.
cess at first are now enthusiastic.
The commissioner spoke on The
police power OF city" He told
about the Detroit force and of the
changes instituted by his administra-
ton. The policy recently instituted
Of not protecting pawn-shops in the
receipt OF stolen goods he said has
reduced Juvenile theft 100 per cent.
For" ne added. the place where
youngster can dispose OF property
must be one where no questions are
asked"