The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-27
COMMITTEE URGES
APPOINTMENT OF
VICE COMMISSION
FOR BIRMINGHAM
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(Continued From Page Five)
| the city; and said vice commission shal
| have power to summons witnesses ah1
compel their attendance and to admin
lister oaths. The commission shall from
time to time submit TO the board oi
commissioners written report of exist
ling conditions, as II may find them
respecting vice, with srch recommends
tons as 1t shall deem advisable foi
the suppression thtre.f.
Section 5. This ordinance shall be
N fsi foroe and effect fcJm and after
It's 5,assage"
Those Signing Request
The request that the commissioners
grant the committee a hearing did not
that the committee desired hearing in
secret, but did impress the commission
ers, in view of the fact that thoroughly
was spelled "thoroly" with the idea thai
the members were ''progressves." The
request was signed by Clement r. Wood
chairman: w. NJ. McGrath, ex-officic
chairman; W. M. Cosby, DIR. Cabot Lul
| Mrs. Joseph McLester. r. S. Munger
Rev. Morris Newfield, Isadore Shap piro
Mrs. Maybelle Sloss-Cecil, and Mrs. S. B
/ Weakley.
! In the request it was represented tha
! the ladies and gentlemen above mentioned
| had been appointed by the president of the
association of Social workers to appeal
before the commissioners with similar
committee from the lnterdenominationa
| Church association. the Birmingham
| Equal Suffrage association, and possibly
| other organizations.
| DIR. Eaves, in his statement yesterday
afternoon. declared that connected witt
| the above were the Associated charities
the Boys club, and the Anti-Tuberculosi:
association, all of which, according to the
speaker, had formed a coalition to rein
force your dhe commissioner maginifi-
| cent work.
DIR. Eaves Disclaims N0toriety
'It is our hope" stated DR.. Eaves, tic
make Birmingham as safe as possible fol
the boys who come here and the boys
and girls who grow up here. This move
raent is nothing new. As is remembered
vice commission was appointed in Chi
cagos~and the revelations, consisting of 2
statement of cold facts, were SO terrific
that their circulation was barred by the
mails He added that similar commits
sions had been appointed in other cities
commissions composed of the best citi-
zens and not solely of those in search
Of notoriety. DR.. Eaves then represented
to the commissioners that the citizens ap-
pearing before them We're earnestly en-
deavoring to amelorate conditions, and
were not fanatics.
He next set out what would be the
duties of the commission for the elimina-
ton of vice in case of its appointment
which duties are outlined above, and re-
ferred to the recent sensational vice
crusade in Atlanta. This prompted Presi-
dent Exum to ask IL politics was moi
mixed up i'll that crusade, to which Dr.
Eaves answered, first, in the negative
and then qualified his answer by declar-
ing that in all matters politics often in
jected themselves.
Mrs. Murdoch Cites Chicago
Mrs. Murdoch, who followed by DR.
Eaves, startled the commissioners and
others present by declaring that it had
been said in Chicago that Birmingham
was fast becoming what Chicago, at that
time, was.
I'VE have developed a new conscience, I"
stated Mrs. Murdoch, which is proved
In the fact that we are present here to-
day talking before reporters. When we
know the conditions as they really exist
In Birmingham, we will be in position tc
rectify the conditions. We are not seek
ing sensationalism, but are earnestly al
work long time and have always beer
confronted with the vice problem. l,
has been said in Chicago that Birmng-
ham is fast becoming what Chicago was.
We ask you to appoint sane committee
for the purpose of finding out conditions
and reporting back to you. That is ali
that we request
Recorder Wood Speaks
There was stir of expectancy as
Mr.. Wood, presiding officer of the po-
lice court, adjusted himself for the pur-
pose of delivering his argument. In
asmuch as Birmingham has no "hous-
ing problem" and none of the other
problems which engage the attention
)of sociologists in more populous CEN
tiers, wonder was great concerning what
the recorder would attack But he did
not disappoint those who expected mar
lvelous elucidation. for after apologiz-
ing for presuming to report condf-
tions to those who already knew them,
lhe said:
"One-third of the cases before the
court come from two square blocks
Birmingham has grown up unconscious
Iof this evil"
To emphasize this point, he declared
"One OF the commissioners has stated
that he has never been within the doors
OF one OF these houses. The same is
probably true Of the others"
Lectures the Commission
Mr. Wood then proceeded to read a
lecture to the commissioners in the fol-
lowing language:
In addition to the cities already
mentioned, Richmond and Louisville
have tried the vice commission with
success You, therefore, should have
pretty good reasons before you turn
down this request You ought to be
convinced either that there is no need
or tnat the plan proposed is bad He