Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-13
MASON FOR LESS
R|TAN|CAL
SABBATHS
Rechosen Police Board Head.
He Approves Liberal Amuse.
mentS for AtIantans.

Carlos H. Mason. chairman q, -.
police board for the past several va.
and who was reelected last nieb.
that position with only one dissan,i,,
vote, following the collapse ~ NJ,
fight, today declared hin,
self in favor of more recreation for A.
lantans. Chairman Mason also MT HI,
stamp of approval on a more rber,r
Sunday amusement plan for the ci,,
and in general declared himself in .,
vor of less puritanical attitude tova-7
simpler pleasures now banned by NH
lie voice. He is in favor Of motion nic
lures for charity on Sunday: OF cI.,o
boxing bouts; of swimming and sim;
lar pastimes. On the other hand h.
does not favor lifting the lid" Z.
came out for a strong enforcement r.,
the laws, and declared that he vvor,s
continue to back up Chief James
Beavers in his vice crusade, provid.5
the chief did not attempt to overs,a,
the bounds, and this Mr.. Mason doas
not think the chief will do.
Workers Need Recreation.
Atlanta is a cosmopolitan citv-r,
longer the size of Decatur and Stors
Mountain" declared Mr.. Mason. "W,
mustn't treat the citizens Ike thew
were treated years and Years az,
There are so many people closely con
fined in their occupations during the
week that they need recreation on SIM.
days, and this can be obtained throug5
the moral motion pictures and PLENTY
of recreation in the parks OF the civ
Such people are naturally restless. and
to give them wholesome recreation viii
help rather than hurt them.
"As for vice crusades, the csmpsjg7
to keep Atlanta the best and most morsr
town in the country will continue. by
of course without any fanaticism. lam
in favor of dealing very carefully with
cases in which raids seem to be neces-
sary. Chief Beavers is not proceeding
without direct evidence. and I am sure
that he will always be sure OF hi,
ground. I believe i'm the old three-day-
notice to-leave rule in the milder vlcs
cases. where the evidence is not strons
enough to warrant making arrests, ys
strong enough to Justify interfereua.
Where there is violence or open viola
tion of the law the cases will take h.
usual course.
Less Raiding Now
AS a matter of fact, there is les.
raiding than there was before the
houses were driven out.
Innocent people must not be arrest
ed when they are the victims Of ci;-
cumstances, and trivial arrests must
also be minimized.
81 don't consider that Chief Beavers
has been fanatiCal in the past and
don't believe he will be in future. Tha
charge that he has been fanatical has
been raised BY lis opponents, and re-
ally hasn't been justified by the facts
The police board is a unit in the
determination that policemen who be
come drunk must leave the force. We
have come to a definite understanding
on that. An officer with pistol and
a mace is a dangerous man when in
toXiCated. and has no place on t0'
force. We expect TO have good eHl-
denCe before preferring charges, how
ever, and give every man a fair Aea
ing. Politics is no longer in the boar
Merit counts for every man.
u don't believe I have an enemy D..
the force. Although the board has
been forced to fire a number, l hay-
always tried to get these men 9TH.
positions where they could make a Nv
inc. for. tbpi1, fg miles "