The Detroit times., 1914-01-22
GILLESPIE IS
ARTFUL DODGER
ON SUNDAY LID"
Continued From Page oueI

since the police department has had
not more than a half-dozen riot calls
TO sa,cCns in the past eight months
At the same time the commissioner
artfuly lodges the question of en-.
forcing the sunday closing law There
was time when Commissioner Gil
lespie admitted that practically every
sa!oonkeeper in Detroit violated the
sunday closing law; then ne suddenly
sh fled ground and calmly stated that
the sunday closing law was not be-
ing violated 10 any great extent in
Detroit Now he says he doesn't
know.
~ Commissioner Gillespie has never
announced his saloon policy so that
anyone could understand IT, He prom.
ised TO turn the police searchiight on
the saloons after he had rooted out
the concentrated vice evil, but NJ
10 date he mas made no effort 10 do
so.
tie would like to- shift the respon.
sibility or Saloon regulation from the
police department to the>council com.
mittee on liquor regulations
Last year when the police<told the
members of the liquor committees that
certain saioonkeepeTs were persist
ent vlolators of the Sunday closing
Law. the aldermen bawled out the of.
fcers for not making complaints
said the commissioner That's a fine
how-do-you-do What can the Off
GERS do? Say they can't get salts
faction in the courts, and then have
the judges hot on their trail? One
officer did make some such state
ment last year and ne had TO crawl
when one of the judges threatened
10 get him for contempt of court
The police commissioner was asked
about the blacklist that he recently
stated he would give to the commit
tee.
Il won't give the committee any list
unless am assured beforehand that
the places listed Will be put ont OF
business" said the commissioner.
But II the committee wants some
proof TO support the charges made by
you against these saloOns2"
Isn't my personal assurance good
enough for the committee? II IL isn't.
1 will give the desired proof. provid.
Ing am given to understand that
places will be put out of business on
the showing made by the police de.
partment.
ut would put the department in
fine hole 10 submit a list Of undesir.
ables TO the committee on liquor reg.
ulatibn and then have the committee
ignore IT, The proprietors of these
saloons frequented by undesirable
women. thugs. pickpockets and bad
characters of all kinds would laugh at
No ~
ting these robbers roosts out OF bust.
ness. except through the liquor com.
mittee.
But, perhaps. the liquor commit
tee won't ask the police department
10 submit lists or reports | under
stand that the committee Is going to
hire its own private sleuth, so | sup
pose the aldermen will gather their
own evidence for and against saloon
keepers"
Aid. Elmer Case, the fifth member
on the council liquor committee,
states that he is in favor Of a rigid
enforcement OF the law and the elimi-
nation of all saloonkeepers that per-
slst In violating the law and giving
the police trouble.
"A saloon should be run like any
other kind OF business" continued the
alderman. If saloonkeeper can't
observe the law then he ought TO be
put out Of business
AS 70 Police Commissioner Giles
pies list OF undesirable saloons, that
Is matter that cannot be discussed
until the committee makes an investi
cation. The police may have a grudge
against certain saloonkeeper and
ask for the revocation OF his license
without a good reason. | am In fa<r
OF supporting the police commissioner
to the limit and will give his list OF
undesirables careful consideration II
Is up TO the police department 10 en-
force the sunday closing law. Under
the liquor law, two convictions mean
the revocation OF license. The po-
lice ought to be able TO handle that
end Of the job without our assist
ance.
81 am liberal, always have been
and always will be but my decisions
as a member Of the liquor committee
no NH