Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-06-05
4 ( sAPPEALs TO BOARD
Alexandria Amusement Co. Writes
Strong Letter Relative to
Closing Order

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of Alexandria, Virginia.
Gentlemen:
We, the undersigned, respectfully
present the following facts and ar
guments against the ruling Of your
Board in closing the moving pictures
houses of which we are proprietors.
Believing that what is good for the
goose is also good for the gander
VIC respectfully submit that your or
der of recent date closing the NOV
ing pictures. Sunday schools and the
public schools is discriminatory, and
that unless your ruling is made to
apply to all places where people
gather either for amusement or busi-
ness, there is small chance of any
real good being done and at the sane
time is doing US an inestimable in
Jury. We do not wish to be put in
the position of not desiring to SUBJ
NIT to any reasonable judgment and
regulation that means for the good
of the community and for the eradi-
cation of any contagious disease which
may be prevailing in Alexandria, but
we do object to regulation which
goes only as far as to close our
places of business and does not pre-
vent the very thing that your or
der is intended to prevent. Manifest
lly it must be absurd to you gentle
men upon calmer reflection and with
the hysteria of your first contempla-
tion of the contagious disease said to
prevail in Alexandria considerably
a5oted, merely to close the public
schools, Sunday schools and the NOV
ing pictures without also closing fac
tories, saloons, lunch rooms, stores,
churches, lodges, amusement halls and
where ever else the people gather. To
us gentlemen whose places are closed
it is not only absurd but also uh~
fortunate, as the stigma is placed upon
the enterprises that we conduct with
out at the same time proper precau-
tions being taken in other localities
and other gathering places to prevent
the further spread.
We cannot see the justice of per-
nlitting the above named places to be
open or operated while we are not al
lowed to enjoy the same privilege.
Further, we believe if a sincere eff
fort was made by the Board of Health
in compelling physicians to make their
patients comply with the health res
gulations that such an order as is
sued to US would not be necessary. It
is a matter of common knowledge
that children in houses where there
are now patients are permitted to
attend school, that even children are
being treated by physicians without
proper quarantine precautions being
made, and that in one instance tine
placard is merely placed upon the
door of the sick room where the pat
lent is sick. In this last case one of
the inmates of this house up until
the closing Of the school attended
school with the full knowledge of the
physician in charge, and apparently
with full knowledge of the health Of
ficer of the city.
The arbitrary ruling of this Board
in merely closing down certain class
es of public gathering and in not
making their rule general has not,
as above pointed out, served to ac-
complish the desired result, namely;
to prevent the spread of the contag-
ious disease, but has served to bring
the City into ridicule and it is mat
ter of fact and common knowledge
that the stores in Washington en-
ploying Alexandria people have in
some instances furloughed their en-
ployees. Not only are we now suff-
ering because of your order, but the
City as whole viii suffer, in that
people will give our City a wide
berth and will not deal here.
We would not feel constrained to
call these conditions to your atten.
ton if we sincerely believed that
your ruling was helpful, but unless
, you take drastic measures and close
5 up every place, whether public OF
: private, we do not feel that it is just
and fair that we saould suffer the
t brunt of your order, and we respect
: fully submit that you rescind your
previous order and that we be per
mitted to open our places of business
unless it is your intention to make
your ruling general and not applica'
Bile merely to certain public places
Until your Board compels physicians