Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-04-10
Committee Which Investigated
Iowa and Nebraska Laws
Reports Findings

An authoritative statement on the
value Of the "red-ltght' abatement
plan Of combating commercial vice Is
presented in the September bulletin
OF the American Hygiene Association,
the result OF actual investigation in
the field" Of the workings OF the plan.
The investigations went into Ne
braska and Iowa and made an impair
tial survey The value Of the law was
thoroughly upheld. lnasmuch as a
similar bill was proposed in this
legislature, and the usefulness Of the
law was attacked on the floor OF the
senate. the following report is of
value,
Conclusions from a field investiga-
ton OF the workings of the injunction
and abatement law in Iowa and Ne
hraska made by the American Social
Hygiene Association. May, 1914:
l. UPON OBJECTIONS URGED
AGAINST THE LAW.
A. "Scatteration."
This objection as usually stated Is
that the enforcement OF the injunction
law has not lessened the evil Of pros
titution but has scattered the prost-
tutes all over the cities. particularly
into the residence districts where they
did not go when the segregated dis
tricts were in existence
The conclusion on this point is that
the closing Of segregated districts in
Iowa and Nebraska has lessened the
evil Of prostitution, certainly in quail
nd hoh IL,
sorry prostitution, snelaving of the
prostitutes by pimps, procurers, mad
ans, bond sharks and grafters; the
traffic in women and the exploitation
Of prostitution, for which q market.
place is necessary, are no longer found
in the cities Of those two states. They
flourished during the days in which
segregated districts existed.
While there are no statistics on
which sure comparison can be made
OF the number of prostitutes now do
ing business in the various cities of
those two states with the number
which operated therein before the
closing Of these districts, a snbstan-
tial majority Of those interviewed be-
lieved that there are fewer now than
IneTo we're DeIOre.
No evidence was offered or found to
PROVE that there are more prostitutes
doing business outside the confines of
the segregated districts now than be-
fore they were closed. Abundant evi.
dence was found to establish the con-
tention that segregation did not seq
regate and that many prostitutes, Ger.
tainly most Of those OF the better
class, never lived in the districts but
always operated I'm the residence
neighborhoods.
3. elackmail and Hardship to Prop
erty Owners.
This objection is that the law opens
the way for INSCRIPTIONS adventures
to harry and harass owners Of prop.
erty. and also that the penalties pro-
vided in the Injunction law are too
drastic and produce undue hardship
to such owners.
The conclusion on this point is
that the objection is absolutely with
out foundation. In careful examina-
tion of the 81 cases brought in Des
Moines, Omaha and Lincoln, and after
consultation with the attorney gener.
ais Of both states, the county attor-
neys who brought the cases, at least
one judge before whom they were
brought, the police departments who
secured the evidence, and with many
others familiar with the workings of
this law, not a single case was found
or had been heard of in which black.
mail had been used or attempted
As regards the penalties provided
in the law, the practical result of it's
enforcement has been that the own
ers have in almost every case abated
the nuisances and cleared out the OBJ
jectionable tenants Immediately upon,
and in some cases even before, the
filing Of the application for injunc-
ton. This fact, together with the fur
Their fact that in, only one case out
of the So in which applications for in.
junction have been filed in Des
Moines, Omaha and Lincoln has there
been even an attempt by the prostl-
flute to continue her business at the
same address or anywhere within the
judicial district, has obviated the ne
cessity of enforcing the penalties pro-
Vided in the law against owners. The
proof of ignorance of the conditions
by owners and the prompt abatement
Of the nuisances have secured in every
case a freedom from such penalties
at the hands of the judges.
c. Increase Of Crimes Against
Women.
This objection is that with the abo-
lition Of the segregated district, the
predatory male has assaulted virtuous