El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-05
FOSDICK WIRES
HASN' 7 REPORTS
This Is Taken as Govern.
ment Recognition of Eff
forts Made in Cleanup.

! Have received no reports such as
you refer to in your recent telegram
Am confident all officials of FL Pasc
are cooperating TO support program
of war department.
This telegram. signed "Fosdicl.
was received Monday evening by
mayor Charles Davis and is taken as
official government recognition OF
the fact that the public officials OF
/ FL Paso are making earnest and con-
sistent efforts to clean the city, as
required by the war department,
through the Fosdick commission
However, the message creates an
air of misunderstanding, since the city
Z had been told that there were reports
at Washington that officials were not
cooperating
Charter Allows Only Fines.
The mayor received a letter Tues
day morning from Mai. Bascom john
son, Of the sanitary corps, national
army, complaining that the imposi-
ton of fines in the city court against
prostitution is in effect making the
city a financial partner OF prostitutes.
Mai. Johnson said the city ordinances
should be amended so as to provide
jail sentences and no fines II was
pointed out by the mayor and city
attorney J. H. McBrOom that Il is i'm
possible TO impose jail sentences in
the city, the charter allowing only
fines. Jail sentences are imposed
only when a person fined refuses or is
unable to pay, but the city has abso-
lutely no power to impose a Jail SEN
tence. but must give every prisoner
the right to be released on payment
of a fine.
Cleanup Meeting Tonight.
The chamber Of commerce audi
forum is expected to be taxed TO its
capacity at the mass meeting at
o'clock tonight, where plans will be
made for the assistance OF county and
city officials in the completion OF the
Cleanup" OF vice conditions in e
Faso. Intense interest has been
aroused among citizens by the dis
closures which were made at The
meeting Of chamber Of commerce and
city and county officials Saturday
afternoon, following the reading of
the report Of the military affairs COM
mittee Of the chamber upon its re-
turn from Washington.
Arrangements are being made TO
seat a crowd as large as may be ad-
mitted TO the chamber OF commerce
hall at the meeting. County officials,
city officials, directors and members
of the chamber Of commerce, and citi-
zens interested in the welfare Of the
city will attend.
It is believed that an efficient plan
to further the efforts of officers OF
the law 10 rid FL PaSO OF bOotleggerS
and prostitutes viii be presented at
the meeting, for the ratification of
those present.
Spence On Cleanup Campaign.
In a communication to The Herald,
concerning the meeting held Saturday
night, F. A. Spence says:
I notice an elaborate article in
The Herald Of March 1, purporting TO
be a report from our sheriff on the |
morals Of the citizens OF FL Paso |
county when this same sheriff is paid |
as the watch dog" to enforce the !
law. It seems rather unusual that a |
sheriff, who is elected by the people |
and paid TO enforce the law, should |
come before the citizens Of this county |
and recommend a Vigilance Com ]
mitte5." In other words, he is asking
the citizens to do work for which he |
is being well paid There is abso- |
lutely no excuse for a condition of |
this kind existing. and If we had the