Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-02-27
kX ENFORCEMENT,
 INADEQUATE LAWS l BLAMED FOR WISE
londit;ons No Worse Than in Other Cities, Commission Finds
JAMES OF NUMEROUS HOUSES ARE LISTED
na Jurors Recommend Owners of property be Prosecuted, Men
 Fined as We'll as Women

The special wee cOmmlss1on oI Che
 rand jury rendering it's long-expect-
 report to Circuit Judge W. B. Sor-
 ells yesterday afternoon presented
 pr the first time the report of a
 pecial investigator who made a Irst-hand inquiry into prostitution
 Pine Bluff. Besides listing a
 etailed account of his experiences, he investigator gave 21 names of
 ersors alleged to be conducting
 ouses of prostitution and 19 ad-
 resses of such houses.
 These names, however, were with
 eId from publication, because, it kas stated insufficient evidence to warrant immediate prosecution was
 t Land. They will be held for the Information of subsequent juries.
 The vice commission found that onditions in Pine Bluff are no worse han in other cities of the same size, but are sufficiently serious to war Fant alarm on the part of the people bf the city.
 There are two reasons for the situ- htion here, the commission found rhe first of these is that present laws are not rigidly enforced and the second is that other laws are needed.
 Referring to the enforcement of the law the commission cited the municipal court record for 30 days. This showed, according to the com missicn's report, that no white wo- &men or no white men had been ar |rested during this period for prosti- Button. Eight negro women had >Een arrested and eight negro men. Ese of the negro women put up S1O f6reits and failed to appear. One was fined TO- Of the eight negro men five forfeited $10 and did not Eappear and the remaining three were ffined each. No one put up for Ffeit of more than $10, the report |said.
 The commission urged maximum Hines, that inmates and keepers be prosecuted and that prop My owners who rent their property
 6 those who use it for houses of prostitution be prosecuted as we'll 1t also was suggested that men be prosecuted as we'll as the women. Would Provide Home. In recommending new legislation the commission urged that law be passed whereby houses of prostitu- tion can be declared a public nuis- .ance and that any citizen be given the right to institute proceedings tc abate them and. on conviction, to provide for the closing of such hous. es for any and all purposes for 2 period of not less than three nol more than 12 months,
 It also was recommended that 2 city ordinance require bonds of tax owners to prevent them from hauling people for the purposes of prostitu tlon. A third recommendation wa: that an industrial home with hos pital wards be established for pros ututes who express willingness to enter same or who are convicted ant have no other place to go.
 The report of the special investi gator told graphically his experience! In gaining admittance to number or houses. He was called away, tn, commIssion's report stated, ant could not finish his investigation' here. Consequently, it added, tn, report is on but 30 per cent of tn, field which he intended to survey The cost of the investigation, the re slon was composed of R. Carnahan port said. was $40 85. The commis W. W. Taylor, John Reap and W. | Matthews
 The grand jury rendered final re port yesterday and was dismissed. I has been in session four times sine october, when it was empannelled lt reported 106 true. bills. 13 o winch were reported yesterday. Tn majority of those reported yesterda, are Tn cases where the accused i m Jail All are for minor offenses