The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-15

evidence
no evidence of connivance with
law Violators by any officials or
corruption in office of any officials
as mas been charged, was found by
investigation, according to the re-
port. Deploring the number of deaths
that have occurred recently from au-
tomobile accidents, the report urges
both city and county officials to give
more concern to this class of law
violations.
Recommendation is also made that
speedier trials be given in criminal
cases and that remedial legislation
pe asked of the next negislature
eliminating the delays in securing
special venires and the striking OF
juries in trials. The jury recon-
mcnds that rules be adopted in the
criminal courts for the trial of all
misdemeanor cases within Is days
after arrest; all felonies within -
days after arrest, and all capital fell
ONES within 20 TO 40 days after ar
rest.
Investigated Vice
In regard to the vice situation, the
report recites; I'm pursuance to the
special charge of your honor we have
made an investigation of the vice sit
uation. As Will be recalled there
were many rumors rife as to mis-
conduct in office and conniVance
with law violations and charges OF
certain candidates against other can
didates rejecting on the morals and
good name OF the city OF Birming
ham.
AS to connivance with law viola
lions OF any officials, or corruption
in office OF any officials, we We're
unable to lind any evidence to sub
stantiate such charges, but do find
that the morale of the police and de-
tective departments is not what II
should be, and would attribute this
TACT to be largely due to these de-
partments not being under civil sery-
ice rule. We most earnestly recon-
mend the placing of these depart
ments under civil service, thereby
having a moral, physical and mental
standard that each and every one IN
these departments would have to
measure up to.
Paying Political Debts
"As it is now--and especially is this
true Just before the election of COM
Observation-Disclosures nature viii as
sert itself, and some officers, either
directly or indirectly. work in behalf
OF certain candidates, or have their
friends do so, and candidates arc
thereby placed under obligations that
they should be free from in order
that they may do their duty without
fear or favor.
If the civil service system were
installed each and every OFFICER would
have an incentive to work Tor pro
motion, and would not find that, after
spending 10 to 80 years of the best
part of his life ip rendering satisfae-
tory service, and AFTER having won
and received promotion, he was sud
denly reduced in rank or discharged
without apparent cause, in order Tor
a superior elective official to pay
nolitical debts by putting in I'M
trained and inexperienced men.
Discharged "Eor Cause"
"we deeply deplore this state of
affairs We have found, in our in
xestigations that several of the city
detecliyes have been unusually dill
gent in their efforts to run down an
classes of criminals, especially auto
mobile thieves and regret TO note
that some of these men have been
discharged from the force without
apparemt reason except for cause ana
while this cause may have been sur
ficient to justify their discharge. we
at least think they should nave been
given a hearing and the pubic en-
hghtened.
1--WE therefore urgently recommend
that the city commissioners take the
department of public safety out Oh
notifies and place it under civil serv-
ice. 1t cannot be hoped to ever build
nm efficient police, detective and fire
departments until this is done. Ii
must be recognized that for men to
reach the highest degree of efficiency
thew must be trained and drilled and
this cannot be done in four-year
torn, of any commission. To say the
least. it is manifestly unfair to the
public for any commissioner to nave
the power to take from 1t It's trained
and experienced men and replace
them with unframed and possibly in
competent men.
Describe Vice Area
"As to another type of the vice sit
uation, that of houses of Ill repute
and violations of the prohibition laws
we find that a great many or these
rumors regarding the prevalence OF
such conditions to be unfounded or at
least we have been unable to get EVIL
dence to substantiate them
I'VE have been able to get evidence
sufficient to return about 40 true
bills. We find that most of these
houses of prostitution and also Dlino
tigers are situated in an area mostly
on Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth
avenues and between Twenty-second
and Twenty-sixth streets, north. But
we want to state right here that in
this same area we find some of the
best people of our city living.
"While we recognize that any rec
concentration or suggestion on our
part of a segregated district will be
criticized by some and to certain
extent looked upon as the licensing
az vice. we. nevertheless, from our
Investigations. have come 70 the con
clusion that the safest and best way
for the handling of this situation is
a. aggregated district.
tn control Social Diseases.
eve believe that the public demands
this. AS it is now and Will be to
certain extent, designation houses and
houses of prostitution Will be run in
various parts of the city. We believe
that the great spread OF SOCIAL dis
eases that has taken place insthe past
several years is due to the fact that
immoral women are scattered over our
city, causing wide infection, wherein
if these unfortunates were confined
to a segregated district the POSSIBLE
ity OF infection would be greatly
minimized, il not eliminated. While
this general condition Is bad, to say
the least. we are of the opinion that
| II is not as bad or any worse than
in any other city of like population
! of Birmingham which has no segre-
| gated district,
DepISre Accidents
I'VE deeply deplore the number o.
| deaths that have occurred lately. due