The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-11

who want to see the law enforced As recall the situation at East Lake when dancing was permitted there women of Ill fame were seen there in numbers and few people cared to go | there. Since dancing was stopped there were a number of Sunday school picnics there last year and the class | of people who visited this resort
 since the dance pavilion was closed has certainly raised the standards of the place. I would rather see 1t op- | erated as recreation park rather than an amusement park if dancing
 has to be permitted. I am sure Com missioner Harrison is sincere and
 thinks he can regulate the dance hall If opened, but I do not believe he will be able to keep .eople of ques-
 tionable character away as long as they behave while on tl floor. Of course. have no reason to think this commission has more sense than oth- CT commissions which have operated the city. but l do believe that once the dance hall is opened up 1t will run just as 1t was run before it was closed. If there Is one thing former Commissioner J. Ellis Brown Is to be commended on 1t is the type of amusements offered the city and l want to congratulate him."
 Working For Soul.
 At that point Commissioner W. B. Cloe said: 'I am for the people and I am for their souls. Every day women who have fallen come before my department and practically all of these are regular visitors at public dance halls. Men operating dances at local hotels have come to me and told me they had no control over | the dances and could not regulate them. am going to be the last man to vote for anything that will lower any mans wife. sister or daughter. We must do something for our fel- l low man and no ono would want to de In a dance hall. I love Birming- ham and tho rest of my life will be devoted to doing something for tho men and women of this city and if I voted for the opening of Pershing pier at East Lake and some man lost his life there I would never forgive myself. I am trying to save souls and uplift the morals of the city and I am doing what I think Is right and best for the city"
 Mrs. Mary Echois, commissioner of health and education, who voted with MT. Harrison on opening the dance hall at East Lake. stated she had previously expressed her opinion on this issue and had not changed it. q have lived in Birmingham 26 years" she said, land hate to be placed with the forces of evil. know Eve was blamed for what took place In the garden of Eden, but I don't think all the blame should be placed on thls Eve Since the other conn missioners know so much of evil l in my sheltered home know nothing of I would suggest that no licenses be accepted by the city for the oper- ation of dance hall. As 1t Is, any one paying the license can operate a dance hall which Is not supervised"
 At that point Commissioner Dick son asked If she was putting that in the form of & motion and she stated 1t was only suggestion. Commissioner Harrison stated If such motion was to be made 1t should come from the commissioners cppos- ing dancing.
 He stated the city spent $is,0oo for the erection of Pershing pier at East Lake and yet the people could not have well supervised dances there, although dances are going on all over the city without any supervision whatever. "The only thing wa pro- pose to do Is to operate a well reg ulated dance hall,' said Mir. Harrison. q am not trying to encourage tn- morality and If 1t cannot be oper- ated respectfully and clean then will be the first to vote to close 1t. You must be consistent and If danc- | ing is wrong at East Lake then 1t rests upon you to put ban on all dancing. I do not want to do any 1 thing that is a detriment to the city
 but l can see no reason why danc- ing under supervision cannot be held at East Lake. If the question is a
 moral issue then let us be consis-
 tent and go down the line puttins a ban on dancing anywhere. Are we to take the position that the rich can dance because they belong to clubs and say to others less for tunate and of more moderate meana that they cannot dance? Are we go- ling to say dancing Is moral for one class and immoral for another | classr
 | NcLendon DepIores Steps Taken | At that point Mir. Cloe asked If ii was a matter of dollars with MT. Har- rison or opening the dance hall for
 the benefit of the people who want | to dance. MT. Harrison replied tha, | 1t was a business proposition and al | the same time gave the people 8
 supervised dance hall. the only one l in the city.
 | MT. McLendon stated he did not be- lieve the people should be called upon
 to pay for the election to open the dancing pier at East Lake. We are | not being asked to stop something l that has already been started, but tc l start something that has beer | stopped" he said. T have lived al
 East Lake for years and when danc- ing was permitted there scarcely any
 decent people went out there. You | cannot regulate a dance hall any
 more than you can a saloon. If danc' | ing Is right then 1t does not need regulating. for we do not think oi regulating our schools or churches q recently attended private dance
 at the Tutwiler hotel when the Shrin- | CTS entertained the grand imperia
 potentate and several women of qucs-
 tionable character got in some way
 and it took 20 men to keep them out