The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-18
COUNCIL URGES
PROTECTION OF
MOVIE PATRONS
Theatres Are Overcrowded,
Fire ChiefTells City Body
Red Cross Canteen Urged.

Action was taken by city council
Monday evening to protect Richmond
people when they attend moving pic
ture shows. Councilman White said
moving picture machine operators
were In the habit of starting a ma
chine. and going away for fifteen or
twenty minutes, thus causing danger
OF fire. White said that picture shows
were crowded to the very doors.
Fire Chief Miller was present and
said council should take some action.
The aisles. he said. were never crowd
ed, but the back OF the theatre was
and at present there Is no law to pre-
vent this, Many times Miller said he
had been compelled to 60 to the thea
tire and stop the sale of tickets.
He said that operators should not
be permitted to leave their machines,
and that operators should not be per-
mitted to smoke in their booths, as
the practice is dangerous.
Miller suggested that the matter BIZ
referred to the ordinance committee.
He said in some cities they have
made q law which limits the number
OF people standing in the back Of the
theatre to the number in the back row.
The matter was turned over to the
ordinance committee and city attorney
for immediate action.
Parking Ordinance Read.
The parking ordinance was up on
second reading. Before voting Coun-
Gilman Won Pein said he wanted it
made clear that there was nothing In
the ordinance that referred to the
hitching racks. They were to stay
where they were. The farmers and
merchants wanted them, he said.
This started a discussion In which
1t was evident that Councilman Will
liams and the mayor were very much
opposed to hitching racks at all. Coun-
Gilman Thatcher said he had talked
they wanted them left there.
Councilman Waterman suggested
that the Board of Works should at
then in order that they might offer
said that the board had not been
present for four or five weeks.
Urges Canteen Service.
Councilman Golden wanted to know
why the Richmond Red Cross did not
have a canteen service at the railroad
stations. Opinion favored such serv.
ice.
Councilman Schneider said that the
city should clean off the sidewalks
where they have been built close to
banks. The dirt washed down on a
sidewalk after a rain and the side
walk Is in dirty condition. The
mayor said that II specific places
were pointed out the street cleaning
department would look after them.
oil Eok oh
water at Thistlethwaite's Falls could
be utilized by the city in any way,
Mayor Zimmerman replied that 1t
sufficient profit would not be gained.
Street improvements Up.
Councilman Waterman reported
that many people had made complaints
about the condition of B street be-
tween Sixth and Seventh streets. He
suggested that as spring will soon be
here and streets will have to be re-
paired every street should be gone
over. The mayor replied that only
one could be done and that the board
had ordered 10000 gallons of oil
which would be put on repaired streets
to preserve them.
Councilman White called attention
to the condition of the street at the
interurban freight station where the
water runs off the roof into the street
when It rains, causing the street to be
flooded so'badly that people have to
90 out of their way to avoid it.
The condition Of North Twelfth
street was brought to the attention of
the council. No street in Richmond
is in a worse condition, it was said.
There is no valuable property in that
part OF town, but they are entitled
to a good street, said Councilman
Ford.
: He said he thought it would be