The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-12-25
A CHANCE FOR Cooperation


closely developed between the government o
Kenosha county and the government of Re
nosha as city, and splendid chance is offer
ed to try out this suggestion of cooperation
in the insistent demands of parent-teachers
associations in the city and county that SOM
official regulation of the dance halls be pro
vided for.
Regulation of dance halls is an old question
in Kenosha city and county 1t has beel
cussed and discussed for the past seven O
eight years, but the regulation has never gon'
very far. The dance hall continues to open tt
the little girls and they are allowed in these
places almost without any supervision.
The "shot" and the "half shot" young MAJ
still manages to get by the man at the door O
these places clippers" are still among tn,
dance hall guests and it is not uncommon, fo1
some little girl to fall by the wayside in thu
same places because she has had "too much
liquor"
Certainly these things cannot be considered
features of a well regulated social party fol
young people. Certainly the officials of the
city and county should have some idea of pro
tecting the morals of the young even though
we are little slip shod when it comes to the
enforcement of law.
1t would not be of great value to regulate
dance halls in the city without providing regu
lation in the county. It's only step from the
dance hall of the city to the road house in the
county where dancing is featured as a lure
usually to improve the patronage at the bar
IF anything of worth is to be done, it must be
concerted action on the part of the two govern
ments
1t might be an excellent thing for the city
council to invite the members of the county
board to meet with them some evening and let
the matter of dance hall regulation be dis
cussed. The question has been studied by
members of the council and by members of the
board, but up to the present there has not beer
enough force behind any movement to get any
considerable regulation. ata4t a
A county ordinance regulating dances woule
be effective in the city as well as in the county
and possibly the members of the county boarc
would be glad to act on the matter If they
were invited to act by accredited officers OF
the city. There is still hesitancy on the part
of county officials to interfere in the govern
ment of the city, but this ancient tradition
should be removed and the county board mem
bers should be told that the city will officially
welcome anything that can be done by the
county to bring about better moral conditions
The men who operate dance halls are begin
ming to feel that they are secure against regu
lation. They have heard the cry "the wolf, the
WOLF so many times that it has ceased tc
worry them any more. They have probably
reached the decision that if city and county
officials are not concerned about the conditions
prevailing in these places of public entertain
ment that there is no immediate need for the
proprietors to get all het up if few girls are
ruined every month or if these places become
the 1oafinC Mace Of half-drunken and wiI1ino
to get full-drunken young men.
The parents of the young girls and boys
want some regulation of these places and they
believe that they are entitled to receive some
assistance along these lines from officials OF
the city and county. They are of the opinion
that being a good official means to have some
interest in saving the regulations of boys and
girls as well as saving dollars for the tax pay
ers Tax payers may lose few dollars and
make them back, but when the reputation OF
a girl is besmirched in a dance hall, it is a
mighty hard thing for her to ever get it back
Of course strong influence will be brought
to members of the council and the county
board to prevent such regulation. The men
who make their living with don't care
policy as to the results which may follow law
defiance and violation of moral and statute
law are always ready and anxious to defend
their business and show that regulation will
not be of any value"
The only way to find out whether regulation
is of value or not is to try it out The one best
bet is that when it is once tried out there will
be no council or county board which will have
the nerve to repeal the ordinance.
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This Muscle Shoals question, 50 far as it is