The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-10-08
Prostitution
Ban Success
Mayor Coin and
Col. Clark Talk


the city council to give its official
atamp to the group.
Mayor Cain told the committee
closing of bawdy houses in Taco
ma was considered as early as
August, 1910. II was then the
eitv undertook to protect health
Of its army guests by the method
of regulation. Each known pro-
fessionsl prostitute in the city
was ordered to be examined once
each week and given blood test
once a month.
Vice Regulation Failed
The Disappointing result Of regn-
lstion. said the mayor. was that
the vensreal disease rate didn't
even hold It's own. II increased.
In March this year the effort was
given up as unsuccessful.
Late in July, at the army's re-
quest Mayor Cain called in other
city officials and In agreement
thev gave notice that all houses
must be closed in two weeks.
!, They closed Aug. 6, an even two
months ago. The ruling affected
approximately 125 women working
in about "a organized houses OF
prostitution, Mayor Cain said.
Before Aug. 1, he then revealed.
there had been an average case
load of new venereal disease cases
originating in Tacoma of % to 80
persons per month. Last month
there were only Is and four OF
these were believed to have con-
tracted syphilis before the houses
closed.
There can be absolutely no
Justification of continuing under
regulation and control" said the
mayor.
No Cases Of Rape
In the two months. he noted,
there have been none Of the pre-
dicted rape cases and no troVole
from prostitutes spreading out
into residential sections.
Or. Lee r. Powers. city health
officer. bore out the mayors state
nent that all regulation did was
tend 10 increase prostitution by
'Tegitimizing" II.
He showed that rs per cent OF
the venereal disease from October
to March came from such houses
and declared that like any other
contagious disease. the only way
to stop it is at its source.
. Tacoma Complimented
A compliment to the city and
Mayor Cain came from Col. Clark,
who directs venereal disease con-
troll work for the army in the Fort
Lewis area.
From my first contact with
the mayor" he told the citizens
committee. we have worked
closely together. II is the first
completely satisfactory arrange
n1ent I ever have had in all my
40 years in the service"
Col Clark warned that the
hattie is not won when the houses
ere closed. Nearly always. he
said. II IL harder to keep them
closed than To close them
Another army official alan vas
present. 1t Col. n. H. fowler
representing the command Of the
<Ist division.
Health Big Factor
Chairman Haley and Mayor Cam
both called attention to the TACT
that they are concerned entirely
with health and not morals.
Only indirectly was closure IN
other communities OF the state
mentioned at the meeting. stat-
ing no city names, Mayor Cam
said I'D TO q week ago he coulon I
say what other communities were
going TO do The whole question,
ne said, was kicked around like a
, football while local business people
felt some concern that their busi-
ness might 90 elsewhere where
wee was open. Many Tacoma
girls went there. he said. Now
however. the entire vest side OF
the state Is under strict orders oi
the governor 10 close or 90 closed
Mayor Cam said.