El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-08
HEAR
POLICE CHILLED
H. B. Stevens Charges De-
partment Inefficient;
Board for Cleanup.


ment with utter inefficiency and in
competency; branding its efforts in
the cleanup campaign as a failurei
and intimating that the city was try
ing to pass the buck" in asking
property owners to eject women Of al
legged questionable character from
their houses, Horace B. Stevens
Thursday afternoon at a meeting Of
the Realty Board, at 116 Texas street,
took a stand in regard to the cleanup
campaign directly opposed to the eX-
pressions which have been made at
previous cleanup" meetings.
Members Of the Realty board, who
gathered to discuss means to assist
in Riding the city Of prostitutes and
bootleggers, adopted a resolution Of
fering city and county officials their
unlimited cooperation, and resolving
to refuse to rent property to any per
sons suspected of being OF question
able character
Says It's Up to Police.
Mr.. Stevens introduced his charges
against the city police department
with the statement that he had re-
ceived a letter from the city advising
him that a house on East Overland
street, for which he is the agent,
contains tenants of an undesirable
CuaLdCLELH anu NAAe-N AZ
eject them at once.
7 don't agree in the least with the
opinion that the police are doing their
best to clean up the city" he said
IF the police know that these places
are of a questionable character why
DON'T. they do their sworn duty ana
act themselves, instead of passing the
buck to the property owner. who has
no means of procuring evidence or
enforcing the law? If they have evil
dence that these tenants are prosti-
tutes or bootleggers, it is their place
to enforce the law. not ours.
Can't Eject Without Cause.
Should I, or any other property
owner, attempt to eject tenants with
10 more evidence than the mere fact
that the police say the tenants are
undesirable, we would have damage
suit or a SANDER suit on our hands in
a minute. A landlord can't eject a
tenant without cause. when the ten
ant holds a two or three year lease;
he can't be elected unless there is
definite evidence against him
IF there is nothing TO show that
Illegal traffic is going on in a house,
how can we put the tenants out, sim
ply because the police ask US to2 II
the police will put any such definite
evidence in my hands. I'll be only too
willing to start an injunction suit to
eject the tenants. But I can't assume
the duties of the police department in
gathering evidence and enforcing the
law myslf-
says Must Have Notice.
at seems to me that If the police
know Of the existence Of all these IN
desirable houses. to the owners OF
which they have sent notices. they
are the ones to deal with them, as is
their sworn duty. The fact that they
know of these places and do nothing
to stop their operation is proof in my
mind Of the inefficiency Of the police
force. If the police will arrest the
inmates, and so give me some definite
evidence against them. then I can
take action to eject them
Everyone knows why the police
don't take such actiOn-it'S because
every time they plan to raid, someone
gets the tip, and nothing can be
found.
when I got this notice I went TO
the place in question. and failed to
find anyone there. I found the name
OF the woman supposed to be oper-
ating II, and found she was supposed
to live on South Stanton street L
went to this place, and was told by
the proprietor, who claimed to be the
aunt of the woman in question, that
the woman is her niece. but that she
had put her out of her own place, a
rooming house, because she discov-
cred her 10 be Of questionable char
acter. I didn't accept this statement
before I had opened the door OF the
was said to have lived. and found ii
vacant. Now how can eject these
people with no more actual evidence
than this?"
Fisk COneurs In Belief.
]. r. Fisk said that it is impossible
TO eject a tenant under these cir
cumstances, without evidence, when
the tenant holds a lease on the prop
erty. He asserted the belief that 1t
is the duty Of the officers Of the law
to take steps to correct these VIOLA
tons OF the law. or to furnish evil
dence that may be used by the land
lord.
George R. LeBaron suggested that
a committee be appointed to call up
on the mayor and request evidence in
such cases. The suggestion was not
voted upon
LeBaron Reads Resolution.
A resolution was read by Mr.. Le-
property is being used in Ell Paso for
immoral purposes; that such condi-
tions are detrimental to the best in
terests Of the city. and damaging to
the value Of property used for such
purposes, and suggesting cooperation
with the authorities in stamping out
such practices.
Fisk objects to Phrase.
J. r Fisk objected to the phrase
damaging to the value of property
used for such purposes" 1t sounds
too much like this is a cleanup in
duced by the dollar" he said Il feel
that we should cooperate IN this
cleanup campaign, not because these
are detrimental to real
estate value. but on moral grounds,
because ii is right to do So"
The resolution, with the objection
able phrase deleted. was passed
1t follows.
Text of Resolution.
BE IL resolved. that il is the intent
and desire of the FL Paso Real Estate
i.nn..a and al t. N an hars IN do eN-