The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-06

Popular songs, very pretty anc
Show, Grays' Armory, all week
of negro boys brought into the court
on the charge of "Disorderly Con-
Duct" they had been playing foot
bail on the public streets and had
annoyed their neighbors and the
,passers-by. When asked II they had
any statement to make the leader of
the crowd said. Judge. where are
we TO playY"-and that question is
still ringing in our ears.
! Saloon Substitute Needed.
! In this connection. we desire to
call the attention of the citizens of
this community to the fact that the
saloon, which in the past was to a
large degree the poor mans club. has
been legally and forever abolished.
and that We must give the people
something in its place. II we do not.
! they will find a substitute. Our
young men and our men of matur.
oot-leggers." prostitutes and gamh-
ling dens unless we furnish them
with gathering places and amusements
of the right sort.
! Richmond has proven herself a
/ leader In the business and financial
world. She has gone over the top"
in Liberty Loans, in drives for Red
Cross and United War Work cana
paigns. She has given in the past
year thousands OF dollars to these
noble causes Can we not direct the
energies OF these same forces towards
civic betterment and the development
OF recreational system which would
be an honor and a credit to our city :?
We can and must take our rightfui
place in the galaxy of cities who have
shown themselves, >. most. careful Of
their children's welfare.
Mothers Pensions.
| We believe that money can be ex-
pended In no wiser or more profitable
way than by allowing a reasonable
pension to every deserving mother,
for whom no provision can otherwise
be made a weekly or monthly allow
lance, large enough to enable her to
stay In the home and raise and train
her children to become good citizens.
Our instructions are filled to-day
with the victims OF poverty and i'm
morality. The one we can reach only
by moral situation; the other we can
ameliorate by financial assistance.
/ The general assembly of 1918 passed
an enabling act permitting cities and
counties to establish A pension fund
for mothers, The city OF Richmond
may not be IN a financial position TO
make the start this year but we
earnestly hope that the Start may be
made soon. Certainly thcre is no
more vital or more important work
j than the proper care ana training OF
our future citizens,
City Farm.
| The desertion and non support law
enacted in 1918 contains a provision
permitting cities and counties to al
low to families OF men charged with
Inon-support, who are employed by
such localities in profitable work, a
sum not exceeding one dollar and not
less TIM twenty-five cents per day for
each day that the prisoner Is en-
iployed
1 At the present time Richmond con
! fines all of her prisoners to the city
jail In absolute idleness at heavy
lcost to the city for their maintenance
lat dead loss so far as their produc-
tive power Is concerned. Can moi
the energies of these men and women
be utilized in manner profitable both
to themselves and to their city? We
believe that they can. by the estab-
lishment of the city farm.
) Your honorable body is already on
record as recognizing the ACCESSIBILITY
OF the establishment OF such IA farm
the arguments In Its favor. We only
! desire to keep the issue alive and te
urge that a farm should be purchased
and put into operation at the earlies
POSSIBLE moment
Curfcw Ordinances.
= During the past year an ordinance
was introduced In the council. at th'
) request of the undersigned. which
. provided that children under a Ger
tain age should not remain at public
l dances or other places of public
amusement after certain hours o
} the aighL This ordinance was almos
: Unanimously approved by the ordi
nance committee. was passed by TIN
common council, but defeated by thu
board of alderman. due we believe Il
a misconception of its real supper
and to a lack OF knowledge OF tn
, compelling reasons in It's favor.
The ordinance as presented wa
} drastic in Its terms and we expecte;
, II to be amended. We still feel tina
, in a modified form. II modification
lis thought desirable. this ordinance
should be passed. We wo not believe
} that any thinking man or womaf
wants TO see young children out OF
: the streets late hours OF the night
! Certainly the fact that they are per
. mitted by their parents to do this Il
, a contributing factor in their deltn
,Quency.