Rock Island Argus., 1915-07-12
INVOKE NEW LAW
TOCLEANCHICAG0
Committee OF Fifteen win Apply In
junction and Abatement Act
in Effect July |.
FIRST NOTICES ARE SENT orr
Ii Writ Is Secured Property Must Be
Left Vacant for One Year
as a Penalty.
ARE SENT OFT

Chicago. H. July 12.-The fniunc-
tion and abatement act became enec-
tive July and the committee Of Is
started using it today.
To PAS property owners Superin-
tendent Samuel P. Thrasher sent let
ters this morning telling them that
their premises are being used for i'm
moral purposes.
If the owners fail to take notice and
act accordingly the committee plans to
ask for an injunction restraining any
one from using the property for one
year, unless the owner will come for
ward with bond insuring that it VIII
be used for moral purposes. The court
action also contempiates the sale Of
the furniture in the Objectionable
places. This is the process OF abaung
the Objectionable places.
Such action is authorized under the
act Like laws have been tested in
other states, so it is improbable that
the owners will escape because of the
invaIidity Of the act.
This law is claimed by social work
ers to be the most effective weapon yet
devised against commerciaIized vice.
Has Another Weapon.
But the committee of Is does not in
tend to rely exclusively upon it, 1t
has still another weapon. This is
commonly known as the Kate Adams
bill. 1t permits the imprisonment OF
inmates OF dives. Tt was Miss Adams
theory that the unfortunate women
needed a year away from their old
haunts to rid themselves of disease, re
gain their physical strength and be
come reaccustomed to wholesome EN-
ploymeut This policy will be followed
by the committee. but in addition it
plans to imprison the keepers OF the
dives as a punitive measure.
With these two laws the committee
hopes to clean up the city in d reason
ably short time.
Mr.. Thrasher said that information
already had been collected indicating
that the keepers are preparing to
leave Chicago.
Text Of letter.
The text Of the letter sent the "a
property owners reads:
AS YOU are probably aware, both
the state and municipal law make it
an ofeuse to lease to another any
house, room Oh. premises. in whole or
in part, TO he used for prostitution or
Iewdness,
THE committee Of Is has in its pos
session evidence tending to show that
the property situated at -, Of rec
ord, has been used recently by the oc-
cupants in violation Of the law. We
are taking this opportunity TO send
you a copy Of a new law enacted by
the 49th general assembly, under
which any citizen having proof that
house, apartment or place is being used
as house OF prostitution may apply
for an injunction, and If his alIega-
tious are proved TO the satisfaction of
the court. the court may issue an or
der closing the house. apartment or
place against its use for any purpose
whatsoever for a period Of one year.
unless owner gives a bond conditioned
that ne viii, On his own motion. abate
the nuisance.
You viii not consider this the legal
notice provided for in section ? OF the
injunction and abatement law. We
are simply calling attention to the
conditions on your property giving
you reasonable time TO institute cor
rectional measures
Need Only Cooperation.
Commenting on the committee pro
gram. Superintendent Thrasher said:
"If we can have reasonable coopera-
tion on the part Of the social organ
izations, real estate bodies, the police
department and the courts, in putting
these two laws into effect, Chicago will
make a great stride toward social puri-
ty. The time may come when den
Of vice as a public institution will re
main only as an unpleasant memory.
The value of the injunction and abate-
ment law cannot be overestimated as
for the general beterment Of
a city"
This last sentence indicates his en-
thusiasm. He says this act viii be of