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Show ?EDqr:v5 'I Published Every Saturday BY GOODWINS WEEKLY PUBLISHING CO., INC. 2:15: P GALLAGHER, Editor. JAMES P. CASEY Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: 8:25; 3:35;' Including postage in the United 8tates, Canada and Mexico $2.50 per year, SO for six months. Subscriptions to all foreign countries, within the Postal Ity 6:55: 8:45lonv $4.50 4:0(1; per year. 8lngle copies, 10 cents. Payment should be made by Cheek, Money Order or Registered Letter, pay able to The Citizen. Address all communications to The Citizen. Entered as second-clas- s matter, June 21, 1919, at the Postoffice at Salt Lake Act of March 8, 1879. City, Utah, under the Phone Wasatch 5409. Ness Bldg. Salt Lake City, Utah. 311-12-- 13 - .10:05. 5:3? . i SALT LAKE CRIME WA VE D UE TO VICE REIGN ; L.'.- ';In an effort to rid the city of those who are described mildly as characters, Chief Burbidge has asked the city all card clubs for sixty days. Undesirable expresses the opinion that this drastic measure will jucHider Salt Lake disagreeable for the undesirables because they are r Agtustomed to make card clubs their habitat. If that is true, why Idg. t close the card clubs permanently? Why not refuse licenses to ah card clubs? If card clubs harbor criminals and thereby foment IIIIHIhne is there any good reason why they should be permitted to numerate? It to hear the commissioners gravely talking car.d clubs when they should be talking of gambling dens. The .rase card clubs is used by them to hide the fact that most of the at ibs are gambling halls. flflpL is curious, however, Since election police raids have been infrequent. The vicious sments have grown bolder. Gambling halls have opened up and otlegging has increased. The city commission may accomplish something by keeping card ibs closed for a few months, but they could do more if they would lulate the example of the Mayor of Chicago, the much denounced, 10 seems to be omitting no drastic measure that will reduce crime. has necessitated a complete reorganization of the police and detec-jr- e departments, but the new chief of police, being given a free hand, s entered upon the task with determination and already he has a vivified force battling stoutly with crime.. HIM Salt Lake gives its chief of police little authority. lie is a sort He is kept busy meeting people and mill; ambassador to the public. commring routine word. The theory is. no doubt, that the police missioner can do the work which the chief must, perforce, leave done, but the commissioner is unfamiliar with police work. l.'Jminals and police officers. Any of the various departments under If he is s command can pull the wool over his eyes at any time. liable and unsuspicious he is constantly hoodwinked with excuses. q. m is 1 Hill In police jargon he is forever being double-crosse- d by his own men. If an effective fight is to be made on crime and it will have to be made soon the commissioners will find it necessary to revolutionize the police system. Mere lackadaisical performance of routine duty from day to day is not enough. The men are not wholly to blame. They look to their superiors for instruction and direction and their immediate superiors look to those higher in authority. If no special measures are proposed the policeman walks his beat listlessly, waiting for something to happen. He passes bootleg joints and gambling dens many times a day, but he has no orders to close them and, denied help, could not accomplish much if he tried. He expects the anti-vic- e squad or the detectives to do the work and evidently they await orders that never come, that is to say, the sweeping orders that would clean up the city and drive out the criminals. Unless the city commissioners take drastic steps now they will witness a wave of crime like those which have terrified the larger cities of the country. When the wave is upon them they will resort to excuses and alibis. In fact, the wave is already here and is apparently sweeping on to tidal proportions. Its menace lias been hidden from the people. The police keep as much information regarding holdups and burglaries to themselves as they can. If a bandit robs and shoots up a bank they arc unable to suppress the news, but the ordinary burglary docs not stir enough interest or indignation to get beyond the police squeal book. Once in a while someone obtains access to the figures and discovers that the burglaries, holdups and thefts of various kinds have mounted to appalling proportions. For an instant the public gets a glimpse of what has been going on and even then the horrible details arc lacking. The commissioners would do well, therefore, to bestir themselves while there still is a chance to cope successfully with the crime -- wave. JAPANESE SULK WHEN U. S. ASKS ABOUT A GGRESS10N The tone of Japanese comment is curious now that the slaver of eutenant Langdon has told a story confirming Langdons statement. nericans will flatter themselves that if an American sentry had been odds lilty. of an offense similar to that which has set two nations at ir leaders of public opinion would have been quick to condemn the Is it because the Japanese arc what they arc that they seek to extenuate, condone and altogether minimize the. offense? Or is it rather because of what the Japanese are trying to do for themselves in Asia? General Ois action in giving instructions that American officers crime and insist upon the most complete reparation. |