Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-12-17
Commission Files Rennrt

commission fifeS Report.
The legislative committee created
by the last Wisconsin legislature TO
investigate the white slave" traffic
in Wisconsin and to recommend rem
edies, fled its report in the office of
the secretary of state. The report will
be published in pamphlet form, and
will come before the next legislature
for consideration
The committee found 267 immoral
places in Milwaukee, 81 in La Crosse
and q in Madison.
To aid in the control of vice the
committee recommended among other
things a morals court; an intrastate
Mann act; state police department;
convictions by fve-sixths of jury;
no liquor in dance halls; no stalls,
family entrances or wine rooms; ap-
pointment of policewomen; inscrip-
ton of name Of owner on all hotels
and rooming houses; revocation Of
liquor licenses after a guilty plea in
court; licenses and registers for all
hotels; raising the age Of consent;
hospital facilities for the treatment OF
venereal diseases at industrial schools;
special classes for subnormal chill
dren; social centers, supervised mu-
nfcipal amusements, and suitable
rooms in which domestics may receive
company, and poverty insurance.
The committee, consisting Of Sena-
tor Howard Teasdale, Sparta, chair
man; Senator Victor Linley, Supe-
rior; Senator R. W. Monk, Neillsville,
and Assemblymen George w. Bing-
ham, Friendship; James Dolan, Platte
vile, and Carl Minkley, Milwaukee,
with R. H. Hillyer of Madison, as re-
porter, was assisted by Clifford Roe,
James B. Reynolds, Edwin Sine,
Samuel P. Thrasher of the Chicago
committee of fifteen; DR.. T. L. Har-
rington and A. H. Bartlett of Milwau-
kee. and other social workers.
THE mans part in the social evil"
says the committee, lis despicable
and mean enough to merit the harsh
est terms of reproach and disgust.
The exploiter of the body and soul OF
women for money gain is worthy to
be the lowest outcast in society, rath-
er than the weak or ignorant or I'M
fortunate person exploited. The pen
alties for such explorations must be
made most severe and must come with
absolute certainty upon conviction.
The fine system, which is unjust and
worthless for both men and women,
should be abolished. Male offenders
should be punished for contempt of
court when they follow the common
custom of giving fictitious name be-
fore the court and should be given a
time sentence to a penal institution,
not escapable by the payment OF fines,
thus sharing their guilt with the
state"
Chairman Howard Teasdale made
the following summary of the report
for immediate publications:
The report of the vice committee
shows that it held public hearings in
IS cities in 26 days, and that sos
witnesses were examined, including
ministers, educators, doctors, lawyers,
employers. factory employees, saloon
keepers, brewers, social workers, wom-
en-, officials charged with the enforce
ment of the laws, and many others,
prior to these hearings, the chairman
visited 40 cities and interviewed gil
social workers and officials as to vice
conditions and the enforcement Of the
law.
In addition, the committee en-
ployed- expert secret investigators, who
visited So cities and devoted to this
service in the aggregate 270 days for
the purpose of learning the causes,
conditions and earnings of CONNER
cialized vice and the class of people
that profted by the bushes.
ut appears that valuable informa-
ton as to local conditions was OBJ
tanned from 1,40o questioners sent out
to the social workers of the state, and
very much of value was received as to
causes of vice, remedies and sugges-
lions as to means of securing better
enforcement of law, from a question
naire sent out to the district attorneys.
From this mass of material in the
hands of the committee the report is,
as it were, brief summary of the
conditions found to exist. A small
number of citations from the reports
of investigators or the testimony Of
witnesses is all that can be given. The
aim has been to include in general
statements the substance of the facts.
tThe committee finds that at the
time of it's appointment there existed
in the state Is cities where recognized
houses of prostitution were permitted,
in one of which there were 81 of such
houses with about $50 inmates: that
the city received from each of the
keepers of these houses the sum of
$50 a month, which was collected and
paid to the municipal judge by mes
senger; that no receipts we're given
the messenger of the keepers for the
money paid and that no entry of the
same was made in any record of the
city
I'm that city the district attorney,
on his own motion, On November 16
last, issued an order to the sheriff to
close these places of i'll repute and the
same was promptly obeyed.
"The report further shows that in all
of these cities these houses have since
been closed by the officials, except
Ashland and Sheboygan and road.
houses near three ether places"
VIII Gather in Madison