Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-12-16
commIssIan FIIss Report.

by the last Wisconsin legislature TO
investigate the white slave" traffic
in Wisconsin and to recommend rem
edies. filed its. report in the office of
the secretary of state. The report viii
be published in pamphlet form. and
win come before the next legislature
for consideration.
The committee found 267 immoral
places in Milwaukee. 81 in La Crosse
I and p in Madison.
To aid in the control of vice the
committee recommended among other
things a morals court; an intrastate
Mann act; a state police department;
convictions by five-sixths of jury;
no liquor in dance halls; no stalls,
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-
nicipal 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; DIR. T. L. Har-
rington and A II. 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 ho6y 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 exploitations 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 a fictitious name be-
fore the court and should be given
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 publication:
"The report of the vice committee
shows that it held public hearings in
10 cities in rs days, and that COS
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 AZ cities and interviewed 81
social workers and officials as to vice
conditions and the enforcement Of the
law.
in addition, the committee EN-
ployed expert secret investigators. who
IN
service in the aggregate go days for
the purpose of learning the causes.
conditions and earnings Of CONNER
ciallzed vice and the class of people
that profited by the bushes.
"It appears that valuable informa-
ton as to local conditions was OBJ
tanned from 1,400 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, a 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.
1.-THE committee finds that at the
time of its appointment there existed
in the state Is cities where recognized
houses of prostitution were permitted.
in one OF which there were Il OF such
houses with about 100 inmates; that
the city received from each OF the
keepers OF these houses the sum of
$50 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
se1ne was made in any record of the
city.
I'm tina. city the district attorney,
on his owl 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 other places"