The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-09-06
Commissioner, Back From Tour
Of Investigation, Sure Elimina-
ton Program Will be Sue
cessful Here
AWAITS ACTION BY
LOCAL SOCIAL WORKERS
Latter Confer on Plans to Care
For Resort Inmates To Be
Driven Out


Detroit early next week" said Police
Commissioner John Gillespie. VINO re-
turned. Friday. from Chicago. where
he studied methods OF vice regula-
ton.
Il ,u now awaiting Action by the
various local antivice organizations
which. understand, hold confer
enoe today to discuss plans for car
ing for the inmates Of the disordeily
houses after these places are closed.
When my order goes into effect, ABOUT
800 Of these women Will be compelled
to leave the houses. will not inter
est myself In any plan to take care
Of them or attempt to reclaim them
my duty being to see that they are
not offensive or dangerous to the com
munity, and nothing more"
DR.. w. A. Wilson. head OF the
Board Of Commerce vice commission
accompanied the police commissioner
on his Chicago trip. DR.. Wilson
asked the commissioner to delay &C.
.ticn In MS vice crusade until the or
gAnizations interested in the moral
welfare OF the city could take hand
the doctor that any suggestions re-
garding the proposed vice crusade
would have to be made before the
end of this week
The commissioner was disappOint-
ed In Chicago's method of so-called
elimination. but is confident that with
conditions vastly different In Detroit.
,0e will meet with better success ID
working out his plan to wipe out re-
sorts.
my visit to Chicago has not
changed my mind about the neces-
sity of totally eliminating CONNER
cialized vice In Detroit said the
commissioner. las soon as ! am
ready to announce my policy, l will
serve notice on the keepers OF dis
orderly houses that they must close.
They will get not less than 80 days
notice. II they are not out OF busi-
ness ut the end Of that time, | will
raid their places and arrest all per-
sons found in them.
elimination. as It works out in
Chicago, IL q very unsatisfactory way
Of handling vice conditions II is
really not elimination at all. The in
mates Of disorderly houses have sim
ply transferred their operations to
cafes, where they are seemingly pro
tected. Even at that the number OF
women OF the underworld has been
reduced Is per cent In Chicago. and
the number of disorderly houses from
1000 to 100. Organized vice has not
really been eliminated In Chicago. al
though the reformers deserve LOT
Of credit for what they have done
"A committee Of Is, headed by Sam
uel p. Thatcher, Is doing much to bet.
ter conditions. This committee IL
doing work that the police should do.
They employ their own investigators
and during the last two months the
committee has wiped out more than
100 disorderly houses. These houses.
or flats as they are called, grow up
like mushrooms and constant surveil-
lance 10 needed to keep them down.
We will probably have that condition
{ TO q certain extent In Detroit.
"The Chicago police authorities say
that one fat Is worse than 20 disor-
derly houses In an organized district
because they are unable to watch
them"
with interviewing the police officials
end the members of the vice commits
/Sions. He went into cafes and Sc
Ncured frst-hand 'rmation on Chi
~cago vice conditions In interviews
with women, former inhabitants OF
the tenderloin district. 90
~Cafes In Chicago are controlled by
syndicates," said the commissioners.
+ THAT condition would not exist here
because no cafe owner would dare
take Q chance.
"The elimination OF disorderly
houses does not mean the elimination
Of organized vice. MY investigation
in Chicago proved this.
I'm Chicago the disorderly houses
eRere closed on "a hours notice. The
result was very unsatisfactory. We
Will take our time In Detroit. but
make q thorough job"
Commissioner Gillespie will not
make report on organized vice con.
dffdons In Detroit as he originally in
tended to. His men are now b,Eg
lgnehering data for the commissioners Q
personal information.
While Commissioner Gillespie was
Swing out an interview on the vice
Intuation, members of various local
organizations interested in the prob
Penn. were In session In q room on the
Io1xth floor Of the Fellowcraft club,
discussing means Of caring for the
inmates Of the disorderly houses
when the commissioners closing or.
dr. goes into effect The following at
tended the meeting: Dr. William A.
Wilson, Or. Chas. e. Chadsey. super.
i4ntendent Of schools; DR.. Rollin n.
Stevens, Clarence A. Lightner, James
'COusens, president Of the Board of
Commerce: Byres H. Gitchell, and
William B. Wreford, secretary and az.
Sistant secretary, respectively. Of the
organization: Mrs. w. r. Brownlee,
1rs. Gordon Pickell. and Mrs. George
y. Fraser. Of the Federation Of Won.
en's clubs: Pliny w. Marsh. and +. T..
Leets, Of the Civic Uplift league; DR..
Mary Thompson Stevens. Of the De.
troit Society for Sex Hygiene, and DIR.
+. q. Pitcher. Of the Detroit Fedora
ton Of Civic Organizations.
Two Wives chares Cruelty.