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Show THE CITIZEN 4 Moreover, the police are empowered to seize all gambling devises, including money and cards. If the city commissioners and the police were truly they could stop gambling and quickly close all dens where criminals most do congregate. we had the fantastic spectacle of Instead of an anti-vic- e squad engaged .in spy work to find some one playing a game of solitaire at the Commercial club or the Alta club. Unless a card game is being played for money the police have no right to interfere with it. If it is played for money they have no right to permit it. But the commissioners and the police have adopted the preposterous policy of granting licenses to notorious gamblers and of suppressing games with which they have no right to interfere. ' A straightforward city commission and five honest policemen could close all gambling in Salt Lake City in a week and keep it law-abidi- law-enforcem- the city and it was soon obvious that, far from having the well in hand, the police were hopelessly at sea. p0 The club presidents who attended the conference wertj?3 the impression that the police would seek the business men, but they were undeceived quickly. The only thi to their suggestions so far observable is the attack on the cli V they do not ascribe this particular phase of police activity to tySv m ing. The Citizen does not desire to render any verdict on that bis it is content to record the facts for the enlightenment of th - ng co-operat- own. When the anti-vic- e squad sought excuses for the wide-opegambling they declared that they must first obtain evidence that gambling was in progress. They had some slight reason for their excuse, inasmuch as raids on favorite gambling houses were almost always tipped off from police headquarters. It will be observed, however, that the police did not seek any such excuse when they closed the games in the civic and social clubs. They did not demand evidence that gambling was in progress. They simply prohibited all card games. And they stopped the playing of cards. The campaign against card games is a sequel to the murder of Detective Hamby in a lodging house frequented by criminals and other low characters; The proprietor and clerk of the lodging house were arrested with a flourish of batons. Then the public demanded that the gambling dens and other vicious places be shut. In fact the demand for more efficiency in dealing with crime had preceded the death of Hamby. Early in January a number of our leading business men invited Commissioner Barnes and Chief Bur-bidto attend a conference. When the conference was held the spokesman of the business men explained that the business men feared that a crime wave was approaching and were anxious to assist the police in every possible way to cope with it. He added that the clubs of the city would do all they could to The police chiefs were polite, but they said with an air of positiveness that there would be no crime wave in Salt Lake and that they thought they had the situation well in hand. Within a few days the tidal wave of crime began to sweep over n, ge co-opera- te. iUf diff munity. Asi The crime wave mounted higher and in a few days dinn the fight and slaughter at the Nord hotel. Unable to face the- -cev of public condemnation Commissioner Barnes and the chief v began to follow the advise they had but recently rejected. closed the gambling houses and a few vicious rooming housed V'A Sr they stopped at that they might have gained some credit for.1 AtJ intentions and good work; but they went on to interfere games in respectable clubs. No doubt, they wagged their headj tentiously and talked about gambling in these clubs, but wliUn gambling in the civic and social clubs to do with crime-catchHad the police found yeggs, safercrackers, pickpockets, higie men and second story men skulking into the Commercial Qc'y Club Old did or the Ladies Home? Or University they contenjjy white-haireaa game of solitaire by d banker was a bad exj y to bandits? the could make that the Perhaps they figured campajf. they offensive that when the time came to let the gamblers runj- ct places wide open once more the business men would be so hraty that they would not dare to voice a protest. gra The police are always quick to feign ignorance of gambliny chief established a censorship over gambling yet the anti-vic- e jfi He dictated who should be and who should not be employed ijccii proprietors. The excuse was that by keeping professional gaifons from sitting in the games gambling would be prevented, but inarec as professional gamblers received the O.K. of the anti-vic- e cca the argument was futile and foolish. T We cite the circumstances to show that the police areLjtai when gambling is in progress so perfectly aware, indeed, thatpyd take a hand in directing the game by dictating who the cm;de shall be. sti The whole police system is wrong and all of us are to G We allow our city commissioners to establish a police force he unsound foundation. We expect efficiency on $100 or $125 a ieS We expect the members of the police force to be of the. types of brave and honest men and we expect them to re$ V temptations to graft even though we pay them such meager sa!0 Of course, there are higher-up- s in every police department? do not want the men well paid, because good pay would mean lic and honesty and efficiency would mean the end of graft ft?so m, - - -- higher-up- al ea s. me ike PRESIDENT HARDING CONFRONTED BY MANY COMPLEX PROBLEMS Few presidents, at the beginning of their administrations, have been confronted by tasks so complex and portentious as those with which President Harding is called upon to deal. True, a number of our presidents have entered office at a time of greater national stress and have found themselves at grips with a single problem more serious than any awaiting settlement today. When Lincoln took the oath several of the southern states had seceded and the nation was drifting rapidly toward war. Thus, in his administration-- , the war crisis dwarfed all other problems. In a way his task was simple despite its peril and its magnitude. It did not call for so many and such diverse decisions regarding domestic and foreign policy. It is fortunate that Mr. Harding is to have the aid of a cabinet made up of public men whose abilities have been salicntly before the 'j .(1. ent closed. No attempt to regulate card games in civic, social and fraternal clubs was made until the authorities were forced to take action against the gambling dens. They do not even pretend that this action is final. It is merely a temporary order. Soon the gambling dens will blossom forth with the first flowers of spring and the thieves games will begin again. 'Once more the criminals will have clubs of their - ion :t, tu un country for years. It is only necessary to mention Hughes Hr Weeks, Fall and Hays to recognize that however formidable tlu am facing the administration the president will be completely More than that, he can relv on the members of his cabinet ferertfn and constructive work. Tliev are not men to confine tin ir ai'M istration to mere advise. Owing to the questions which peculiarly affect their de 'artrit t Mr. Hughes and Mr. Hoover should be the most conspicu bers of the cabinet at the outset. The new secretary of s ater,01 take up the overshadowing question of an international a for peace. Mr. Hoover must reorganize the department of and set in motion its machinery for a revival of industry. A Or of the interior department Senator Fall, a little later, will l3 ail-- -- ' |