The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-07-03
BOARD STANDS 9 TO 5
Conditions in County and Need
of Dance Supervision De-
scribed by Sybil Campbell.

This ordinance will. be presented at
the next meeting of the board for &C
ton.
After discussion of more than an
hour and a half motion was made
by Nicholas Roders to defer action.
Before he could call for the question,
John Priddes interposed an amendment
which called for the drafting of a
proposed ordinance. The amendment
was first voted on and carried one
vote margin.
sybil L. Campbell, county probation
officer, and a delegation of Ii women,
headed by n. R. Dairy, secretary OF the
county council Of the Parent Teachers
association, were on hand at o'clock
when the matter was brought before
the county board.
local Opinion" Strong.
Considerable sentiment was expires
sed by various members Of the board
in favor of letting each township IN
the county handle the dance problem
in its respective district as best suited
conditions, rather than having a blan-
ket rule to cover the entire county.
It was pointed out that authorities in
these townships were more conversant
with the particular conditions with
which they would be forced to deal.
Morris Bernett, district attorney, de-
clared that under the nuisance law
any dance place which could be shown
to be a detriment to the morals Of the
youth Of the county could be closed
up and kept closed. He added that
few prosecutions Of proprietors of
these places might have more effect
on the county situation than any one
other move that could be made. lie
urged the parents and others interest
ed in county conditions to make for
nal complaint against halls where I'M
proper conduct was allowed.
Town boards the prosecutor added,
have Just as much power in their own
territory as the council of the city of
Kenosha has within the city limits.
Mr.. Barnett also pointed out that any
action that might be taken by the
county board would govern the city
of Kenosha as well as the rural dis
tricts of the county.
Makes Strong Appeal. e
Miss Campbell, from her experience
as probation officer, stated that while
Kenosha county has some fine dances,
there are some where excessively vul-
gar" dancing is permitted. Others she
characterized as absolutely rotten"
Two young girls were last week
picked up in the city by the police
in an intoxicated condition, she said.
Investigation proved that they had
been to one of the county dances and
that their escorts had given them
liquor to drink.
She urged the ACCESSIBILITY of ap-
mounting women dance supervisors.
Girls, she stated, need some woman
to whom they can appeal If things
are going badly. Dances, she said,
are the stamping ground for men and
women who have evil designs. Then
she declared that out of the hundreds
Of girls whom she has questioned as
to what led to their downfall, fully
|three-fourths have admitted that they
were started on the downward road at
some dance. While the real trouble
may not occur at the dance, it has its
root there.
Curb Soft Lights.
Soft lights should not be allowed at
public dances, she said. Miss Camp
bell said that it is not with view
to taking the fun out Of the lives OF
the young people that the agitation
has been started for the dance law, but
to protect them from harm. AS things
now stand, abe said, there is no weapon
in the form Of law that can be
welded over the heads Of the men who
commemorative dancing to the extent
that they are only interested in the
cash register.
Fred Pabst, sheriff, corroborated
this statement. He added, however,
that never has there been an appeal
from any public dance for supervision
but what that supervision was given.
He said that the proprietors of the
establishments usually pay the deput-
les for their time. In answer to a
question he stated that there are about
200 deputies in the county. Only the
motorcycle men are paid, however,
he said.
]. J. Barrows, supervisor from SOM
ers, declared that he believed that the
county board should not interfere with
the activities of the various townships
and the city. He added that in the
many years he has been associated
with the town board of Somers, there
has never been but one complaint. He
said that if too drastic an ordinance
is passed the result will be to drive
Kenosha youth to neighboring towns.
Not Drastic Action
Mr.. Dairy stated that it is not dras-
tic action which is being sought, but
an ordinance which, should Miiwau-
kee pass its dance law, will protect the
county from the hoodlum element. If
Kenosha has midnight or one o'clock
closing law, the rest Of the county
should have the same regulation. This,
he said, would prevent the city young
sters from driving out into the county
whenN the city dances Close, and also
work the other way around.
]. NJ Hartman, supervisor from the
fifth ward, expressed himself as fav-
oring the "local opinion" solution Of
the matter. He said that it seemed
foolish to saddle dance supervisor on
places where the dancing was admit
tedly clean while township govern
ment could very well attend to those
places which needed cleaning up.
Richard A. Dowse, supervisor Of
Pleasant Prairie urged that no hasty
action be taken, but that The matter
be discussed with the CITY officials who