The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-04
Strict City Ordinances Make
Euery Citizen a Lawbreaker
Mayor and Police Officials Are Culprts - Housewives
Shopping, Auto Drivers, Children and Property
Owners Numbered Among Guilty

Every man, woman and child in
Richmond is a lawbreaker. At least
that is the opinion of city officials in
terviewed on the subject.
just how many thousands of dolla rs
would flow yearly into the city treas
ury II the police department took it
upon itself to enforce city ordinances
now in existence cannot be estimated
| out 1t is probable that the revenue
would be almost sufficient to run the
city of Richmond for one year.
Inc busy housewife doing her shop
ping Is violating city ordinance when
sne places two of her purchases in
one package and throws the container
OF the one purchased article upon the
| street.
! Inc tobacco chewing man proba bly,
violates city ordinance oftener than
any other mortal. Every time he
turns his quid over and spits on the
sidewalk or in a public place he is
violating city ordinance and is liable
to fine
Autoists Common Offenders.
Inere are thousands of autoists in
Richmond. Out of these thousands
there is probably not a one who does
not violate some clause in the traffic
ordinance.
Even the most careful driver Is
bound to drive his car more than IL
: miles per hour on a down town street.
When the speedometer creeps past the
Emile mark a city ordinance is being
violated.
How many autoists are there in
, Richmond, who have not cut a corner
, have not stopped in front of their
homes for a few minutes facing the
: wrong way or have parked their cars
in front of their homes after dusk
, without the tail light
Children as well as brown-ups are
violators. The youth pedaling his
bicycle along the sidewalk is subject
to arrest. The gang of boys who con
gregate under the street light on the
, favorite corner in the evening are
quite often guilty of disorderly con
duct
Must Clear Sidewalks.
The householder who fails to cleal
his sidewalk of the snow in the winter
time is liable to arrest 1t is safe tt
say that this one certain ordinance il
) violated by 80 percent of the citizens
of Richmond.
| Permitting weeds to grow on proper
2 ty is common offense as evidenced
by the hundreds of complaints mad
, to the police department. The prohi
!! bition law has made violators of hun
: dreds of people. The man or woman
: making little dandelion wine for tn,
"liver" is as liable to arrest as tbs
r professional "moonshine" distiller.
! Mayor w. W. Zimmerman admit
G frequently that he drives his car o
well-known make at a greater rate o
r speed than the law allows, and tina
he parks where he please, he declares
!, You see | violate the ordinances bu
Il / don't let it get out and therefore
get away with it" the mayor remarks
Sergeant Advises Caution.
. Police Sergeant George Staubacl
was a little bit reticent in discussin
violations of the law. Il don't driv
/ a car, and if did | would know bette
, than to try to get by with the stu1
:, some people do here in town." he SAID
1T may be they could haul me in one
u in a while for the slip of my tongu
i with a little profanity attached there
d to-"
L Everybody violated ordinances @
laws of some kind" one official stated
u "A person cannot walk block withou
l violating some ordinance" he wer
so far as to say.
y, Many ordinances are being violate
Il which people have no idea are in e,
u istence. Many of the old ordinance
n have never been printed but are wri
T. ten in long hand and are preserved
d the vault in the board of works ofRc
These ordinances affect condition
which no longer exist and regulat
everything from the speed that hors