The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-18
Vigorous Action Expected on
Lawless Conditions Reveal
ed in Richmond.
COMMITTEE rs NAMED
Asks Cooperation and Advice
in Dealing With Problem
Of Law Enforcement
in the City.

| Upon call Of Rev. DIR. Russell Cecil
! president OF the Ministerial union. the
executive and civic conditions COM
mIftees Of that body Will meet at 5
O'Clock this afternoon at the Y. NJ
! &. a. to consider the situation in
/ reference to laxity in enforcement of
the laws concerning liquor and vice
| The committees are, expected to
| deal vigorously with the situation
which has lately been disclosed part
! ~ through the activities OF the grand
| jury partly through the military raid
which rounded up a number of un-
! iesirables whom the police had not
molestcd.
Mayor Ainslie yesterday appointed
/ an advisory committee 20 cooperate
with him In the law enforcement pro-
gram which ne announces he intends
! TO carry out The men asked to serve
on this comittee are:
John Kerr Branch. president of the
! Merchants National bank.
John c. Easley. president OF the
| chamber of commerce. insurance and
real estate agent.
| Coleman workman, insurance agent
/ and banker. former president Of the
chamber Of commerce.
William #. Reed, tobacco manu-
!
4 chamber OF commerce.
William II. schwarzschiid mer-
chant. banker and former president
Of the Retail Merchants association.
William IT pabneY. business man
ager of the chamber of commerce.
In naming this committee Mayor
Ainslie made public a letter which he
addressed TO each one Of them. which
reads as follows
Mayor Ain~iie's Letter.
| Richmond. Va. June II. 1918.
Messrs. John X. Branch, Coleman
Workman. John c Easley. William
T. Reed, w. II. Schwarzschild
w r. Dabney,
/. Gentlemen Saturday. June 8
a series of resolutions adopted as a
result OF several conference, one or
more Of which / understand you at
tended. were presented to me by a
committee of the Conferees appointed
for that purpose.
4 One Of the resolutions reads:
That this meeting hereby calls
upon the mayor to take immediate
steps TO enforce the laws, and TO make
and keep the city clean and lawabid-
ing"
l asked the committee at once Il
they had any suggestions TO offer as
to how such a result could be better
obtained, and they frankly confessed
that they had not.
Another OF the resolutions states
argumentatively. that:
! Owing to laN enforcement of The
| law, both as 10 the Illicit sale of atco
hoi and TO the suppression of the so
cial evil morals of tho city, as wei
as the success of arms and the health
OF our soldiers, are seriously men
aced"
And frora the police records tina
since the closing of the segregated
district. arrests for offences agains
morality. to April /, 1918, the lates
date to which could obtain the fie
ures, are as follows:
Keeping house of i'll fame. ...., f5'
Street walkers .............. So
Unlawful Capitalization .........1,l0 OF
Keeping gambling houses ...... IL
Since November l.. 1916, the dat
the prohibition law became effective
the number OF arrests for violation o
that law was 1S4. one hundred AM
fifty having been made between Jan
uarv / and April i. 1918. So mucl
for what has been done But TO reacl
what is done is our task, and in tn
performance of it all citizens as We
as all officials have a large interes
and duty.
The gentlemen who presented tn
resolutions each assured me that the
were authorized to offer the assist
ance and advice OF all those who's
interest had brought about the con
! ferences. and this is respectfully I
request that YOU will act as a mem
Der of an advisory committee who's
effort shall he to investigate the ia CT
give careful consideration to ou
present methods, and to make an
hear and help to carry out such suc
gestions as may seem to be practicabl
in the effort to improve our condi
tons.
Your favorable reply will be appre
ciated
Very truly yours,
(Signed) GEORGE A1NSLIE,
Mayor.