Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-02-22
Commission
TAXES ISSUE
ON STATEMENT.


Glorious sunshine streamed through
the open east windows Of the city hall
and into the commission chambers
yesterday morning at 10 o'clock. Birds
twittered and sang without The purr
of automobiles gliding over the smooth
pavement of Washington street and
the jingling of the bells of trolley cars.
mingled with the thousand and one
other sounds of a busy district II was
a morning when it seemed good to be
alive 1t was also the morning of
the week when regular commission
meetings are held.
In the commission chamber were
various citizens. attracted there
through interest or curiosity. Upon
the dais was seated Mayor Peter
Corpstein. Commissioners Jones, Mac
Bean and Dunlap were in their seats.
City Clerk Frank Thomas thumbed
sundry papers, while City Manager
Robert A. Craig. Assistant City Attor-
ney J. e. Nelson, and the heads of
two or three city departments occu-
pied chairs within the space reserved
for the deliberations OF the city faith
e.s. Commissioner Frank Woods was
absent. There seemed fair promise OF
harmony and good cheer.
There came a rift In the lutte, how
ever, before the meeting had pro-
crossed far beyond the reading of the
minutes of the previous meeting. A
cloud gathered on the brow of the
mayor. II permeated the atmosphere
ana soon relegated the glorious sun
shine to secondary position. And
then the storm broke. first like an
April shower, but growing in intensity
until there was a stable downpour
And all because of an editorial in the
Arizona Republican a week or more
ago in which attention was called to
the fact that for a year Phoenix has
been more nearly a wide open town
than it had been at any time since
women were driven out Of the saloons
and gambling was abolished, several
years ago.
IF conditions are as bad as pictured
in The Republican, | want TO know II"
in substance said Mayor Corpstein.
II they are, and there is no other
way TO control the situation. ! will be
willing 10 go about the work of clean
| ing up IL | have to do il single
handed
Does Not Believe Story
| And then the mayor went on to say
| that he did not believe that conditions
were as bad as painted In The Repub
| liean editorial and that he was sur
prised that the leading newspaper of
Arizona would so grossly misrepresent
any situation. He suggested that II
the owners of The Republican and the
writer responsible for the text of the
offending editorial had facts upon
which to base such an accusation they
should be asked to come before the
commission and present those facts.
| City Clerk Thomas. who is also ex-
officio city magistrate, told the COM
mission he did not believe that Phoe-
nix morally was any worse than the
average city of its size He said that
as city magistrate he was kept pretty
we'll informed of conditions affecting
the morals Of the community. He
said the city. OF course. had its share
of an undesirable element but he did
not believe that element was present
to any such extent as indicated by The
| Republican. Other members of the
commission took serious exception to
the editorial and all agreed that an
explanation should be asked
| And then when IL appeared that the
matter had been well disposed of as
far as concerned the present. petit
ton signed by forty or fifty people
wass presented calling attention TO a
red light district through which many
Of the school children have TO pass to
ard from school"
Your petitioners. citizens and tax
PAYERS of the Third and Fourth
wards" said the petition, respectful
L. solicit your honorable body to re-
move or cause TO be removed from our
city host of iewd women on South
Second street between Madison and
jackson streets. and also in alley be-
tween Rirst and Third streets, between
Madiso and Jackson streets" The pc
tition continued. relating how these
women operate from morning unit
night and concluded with, at is moi
only disgraceful and destructive to the
community in which 1t is located. but
to our whole city. We pray your
speedy action
One of the petitioners was present
and Assistant City Attorney Nelson
asked If he could produce persons t
, give evidence against these women
The petitioner said he could and Mr.
Nelson suggested that they visit hi,
office in order that their evidence b.
secured and the proper steps taken Il
bring about the arrest and conviction
of the women.
There were other matters requiring
/ the attention of the city commission
and these were also taken up. A reso
luton was adopted ordering the paw
ing of Lynwood street and calling 10
bids for the work. A similar resolu
ton calling for paving portion 0
! Monroe street was also adopted
l No report having been presented rel
alive to the petition for night patrol
man in the district west of Fifth av
| enue and south of jackson street, thi
matter was laid over to the next reg
5 ular meeting.
4 A communication was read from =
! Patron of Fixes Auto Stage Line,
I, asking that the company be compelle