The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1920-06-03
PEOPLE BELIEVE IN FAIR PLAY
AND CONDEMN ACTION CLOS
ING POOL ROOMS IN, CITY
COUNCILMAN STAMEY ISSUES.
STATEMENT.

/ COUNCILMAN STAMEY ISSUES
STATEMENT.
Says the Enterprise of Saturday:
CRITICISM of Mayor d. "A. Stanton
and Councilman Hedrick and Con
rad, who voted Thursday night to re-
| woke pool room licenses in High
Point, continued to be heard on all
sides yesterday and today.
presiding officers of local clubs,
while not claiming to represent the
sentiment of all their members but
believing they spoke for the majori-
ty, today added their disapprovaI TO
the general criticism heard wherever
men come together since the counsel
meeting Thursday night.
''Dr. w. A. Hayes, of the CONNER
ciaI club, declared that he strongly
opposed the action Of the three. IF
they revoked the licenses because Of
alleged gambling in the pool rooms;
DR.. Hayes said, it looks to me like
a confession that the council and po-
lice department have both fallen
down on their jobsS in other words,
that they are Unable to enforce the
law
"I can not. see the justice,' he said,
in depriVing local people of the privi-
lege of playing pool. Certainly, the
police can prevent gambling in pool
mighty slim excuse
"It is discrimination, and that is
ALL he declared.
81. s.. We1born, exalted ruler Of the
Elks' lodge, speaking personally, de-
clared that he thought the people;
ought to be accorded the privilege of
playing pool if they want to. Be
cause there are reports of gambling
is not reason to close the pool rooms,
it is the duty Of the police to prevent
the gambling
Garter Dalton, of the Rotary Club,
speaking for himself and the mem
bers of the board of directors, declar-
ed he was opposed to the action Of
Mayor Stanton and Councilman Con-
rad and Hedrick.' I believe the ma
jority of the Rotary members oppose
this discrimination
con the street yesterday criticism
was bitter, The Enterprise through
out the day received approval of the
stand it has taken, and Councilman
Stamey and Ingram received many
congratulations for the effort they
made to defeat the resolution
"There was much comment on the
way Councilman Hedrick and his col
league raInned the motion through.
Called to consider special license tax
es and to try and get revenue to fill
the city's offers, the three members
of the council cut off approximately
$1,000 revenue annually.
'Councilman Conrad's action was
surprising. In conversation with
representative of The Enterprise the
day before, he said he was not in IA
vor of closing the pool rooms unless
everything else was closed. In other
words, he was not in favor Of discrim-
ination against the working people,
who enjoy the pool rooms.
'But when Hedrick made his mo-
ton, Conrad seconded it. Stamey had
made a motion to postpone action just
prior to Conrad's seconding. Stamey
was of the impression that Conrad
was seconding his motion, but when
the vote was put and Hedrick voted
"aye", so did Conrad. Conrad said
yesterday, however, lat he> was Sec
onding Hedrick's motion.
"To refute the charge of lawless-
ness, which has been made against
the pool rooms by the uninformed, it
was pointed out today that there has
been but one arrest made in pool
room ia High Point in five years.
This record can be vouched for at
police headuarters.
Councilman Stamey who, with
Councilman Ingram, voted to license
pool rooms in High Point, today is
sued the following statement:
"T voted to license the two pool
rooms Of the city because I believe
they are a less evil than substitutes"
that will naturally follow.
because it is not right for the
vast majority of the citizens and
voters, the working people, to be dis
criminated against, as this action
does discriminate against them. The
Elks and Commercial clubs, the
Moose home and the two fire com
panies likewise, give members OF
these> organizations chance for re-
creation, yet denying the general pub
lie the right it is entitled to.
"T shall never be a party to any
scheme that shall deny one class OF
my fellow man the privileges they are
entitled to and grant it to another
class. Such a procedure will injure
any city, and will damage High Point.
1t will not take long to prove this as
sertion. You can't. continually dis
criminate- against the general public
without reaction that. will result in
harm to every individual and the city.
"fOther cities have tried it, and
have awakened to the fact through
loss Of business and progress, and the