Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-06
Mayors Commission Files Long
Awaited Report. With Drastic
Recommendation
AINsLlE TO ACT SHORTLY
Executive Order Now Expected
Abolishing Segregated Dis
trict by May /.

i exists In this city. fled a nine page
iHpcwritt"n report with the Mayor yes
ierdaN. summarizing the local situation
and recommending the immediate en-
forccment or the laws against vicious
l"miczvous of every character.
The report presents an abridged
statement OF vice conditions In Rich
iuouh, aud depicts state OF affairs
Which, while not as dcplorable us in
ether cities. is yet IL grave reproach to
The community. No charges nrc
brought against individuals. although
1t Is freely asserted that for every
statement that is made irrcfutabic
proof is In. the hands Of :hc commits
sion.
VICE REPORT MAKES
SERIES or RECOMMENDATIONS
Aficr setting forth categorically the
"Ni"nt and form OF mmercialiZcd and
other kinds OF vice in this city the re-
r"r' concludes with the following
i"commendatiOns:
l'irst-That TIE law forbidding dis
"rderiy houses. places or commercial
vice. including the so-called segregated
district. and all other places used for
immoral purposes bc a. once rightly
enforced. looking 10 the closing at once
"f all such places as provided by the
laWS of the Commonwealth OF Virginia
and tho city OF NichmoEd
Sccond--It is the opinion Of this
commission that tho efficiency of the
police force in suppressing vice Of this
kind would be greatly augmented II
fuli authority were given the chief Of
Police In placing his men and in de-
roying them IN the service as his juds-
ment shall from time TO time dictate
VIC believe that the Chief OF Police
should have absolute control as com
mandcr In fact as well As In name In
the exercise OF their plain duties
oRGANIzATION OF MORALS
=. s sau-tD rs sGtlt:I,STED
Third-That u morals squad be or
Ennizcd from the police force. and that
Tn" members OF this squad be selected
10y the Mayor and the chief OF Police
four,h-That the people OF Rich
mond be urged TO cooperate with the
ioiicc Department in the performance
of It's duties. more especially in the
relation 10 the suppression of this vice
Fifth-That the city of Richmond
provide at once place OF confinement
ether than the City Jail Ia which the
morally delinquent and other Offenders
who may be determined upon NAV he
sent and In so doing better subserve
reformation than by commitment TO
Jail.
SiNth-That Bureau OF Public
Morals he chartered. which shall CO.
operate with the authorities in dealing
with all questions pertaining To sex
relationship. and in enforcing all laws
against immortality. To this end IL is
recommended that this commission be
continued with power to prepare a
charter FOR a permanent; bureau: and
that. pending tho obtaining Of such
charter this commission act as "A
l:uroau OF Public Morals
NEPOIiT WILL. RE FOLLOWED
iii' OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
The report was handed 10 the Mayor
yesterday afternoon by Ashton Starke
and Rev. Frank 7. McFadcn. d. ID.
chairman and secretary, respectively
az the Vice Commission. The two men
were closeted with the Mayor for more
than an hour, but no statement as to
the character OF the discussion was OBJ
tainable.
II was stated. however. that the
document Is TO be regarded MS report
No. !. the inference being that the Vice
Commission has by no means set forth
in the paper ali tho information that II
has collected. Supplementary reports
il was stated. will be Forthcoming "at
the earliest practicable time"
An effort to secure statement from
Mayor Ainslie met with the reply that
for the present ri least he was not
prepared to make one. The Mayor had
not had an opportunity to look ma
turely into all the recommendation
made In the report and to examine with
care the subject matter OF the com
munication. and preferred. for these
reasons. to refrain from any comment
a, this time.
MAYOR HAS PLAINLY
INDICATED HIS POSITION
The frequently repeated position OF
the Mayor with regard to the Vice
Commission and It's work. however
leaves no room for doubt as to his
course. He has on numerous occasions
publicly bound himself to carry out in
substance the recommendations of the
body which he called together to ad-
wise him. and is. therefore virtually com
mitted in advance to the course adj
viscd by the commission
Reduced to the baIdest terms. tho re
port means that the Mayor will shortly
issue an order abolishinR the segrccat
cd district. The commission recon-
mcnis In its report that this be done
nj once. III Is NOT believed that even
the commission expected the adverbiaI
phrase to be taken literally. reason
able time will have to be allowed the
Inmates to make arrangements for their
future, and to adjust their local inter-
ests. An allowance Of three months
for this purpose would appear reason
nbie. An order will probably be en-
tered by the Mayor closing the district
about May
SEES no REASON
TO MODIFY STATEMENT
On April 3, 1914. Mayor Ainslie, adj
dressing ma ass-meeting In South Rich
6Coptlnuad on Third PaRal