The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-20
Proposed Anti-LOafing Law To
Provide for This.
City Attorney Instructed To
Draw Up the Ordinance.
MAKE IT A DRASTIC MEASURE
Migrants, Gamblers and Conf
dence Men To Suffer.
$500 Fine and Six Months Jail
Sentence Provided.

provision, Whereby gamblers,
oootleggers, confidence men, vagrants
and others without visible means of
support thru legal occupation who are
arrested by the police, may be SEN
fenced by the police judge to hard la
Dor on the streets or in city parks
will be contained in the new city
compulsory occupation" ordinance
the object of which is to compel able
bodied men to engage in a useful civ
ilian occupation or enter military SER
vice.
On motion of Mayor House, who
originated the idea of such a law here,
the city commissioners today instruct
ed George P. Hayden, city attorney, to
draft the ordinance. Following the
commissions action Hayden said he
had the outline of the ordinance
formulated.
Hayden, in his outline, will include
all persons arrested on the aforemen-
toned charges, as well as men found
in houses of immortality. under gen.
eral heading of vagrancy. The ordin-
ance provides that when convictions of
vagrancy are obtained by the city the
police judge will have power to assess
a fine of from $50 to $500 or a Jail
sentence of from 80 days to six
would then be empowered to decree
that the person or persons convicted
serve out the sentence at useful la
Dor on the streets or in the city parks
1t Will Be Drastic.
The ordinance, as outlined by Hay
den, will probably be the most drastic
''antivag" or anti-nuisance city law
ever passed in Kansas, or the majority
of other states. 1t will be far more
drastic than the state law providing
for the punishment of able bodied men
who fail or refuse to work. The state
law provides only a fine or Jail SEN
tence. and has no provision to put the
ordinance, those convicted will be put
to work at useful occupation and
be made to pay the expense with labor
of their punishment for failing to get
job sooner.
1t also appears that the new city
law will be one of the most popular
of any on the city statutes. This
morning Mayor House received letter
from Samuel E. Lux. of the Lux COM
mission house here, congratulating
him for his attitude in proposing the
ordinance.
Many Will Not Work.
There are several men down here
not work other than long enough to
get a half dollar. They are mostly
negroes. Today we are unloading a
car of foodstuffs There are several
men lettering around in front of q
restaurant nearby and we can't hire
one of them to turn their hands"
While the new law will be primarily
to compel men to engage in a useful
occupation or get into the army or
navy, there will be no provision re-
ferring to military service. 1t will be
drawn in such manner that its
meaning will be plain between
lines" The commissioners, in in
structing Hayden to draw the ordi-
nance, voted unanimously. Each
member has expressed himself as be-
ing in favor of every man who is able
doing his part when civilian labor and
| men for the army are needed so bad
ly. Hayden will probably have the
| ordinance ready for the next meeting
of the commission. There is little
doubt but that the commissioners will
pass it unanimously.