Woman's work in municipalities

Name: Woman's work in municipalities
Author: Beard, Mary Ritter

Beard, Mary Ritter

Civic improvement; Urban women; Women in public life

Therefore, be it Resolved:

  That we as citizens of Kansas City in mass meeting assembled,
  unreservedly condemn the policy of the segregation of vice;

  That we abhor the iniquitous fine system by which we as citizens are
  forced to become partners in the profits of vice, and we favor
  whatever proceedings may be necessary to divorce the city from a
  participation in such profits;

  That we call upon the prosecuting attorney to use the full powers of
  his office to enforce the laws against vice;

  That we favor a state-wide campaign in Missouri for the enactment of
  a law similar to the Iowa injunction and abatement law;

  That a committee of representative citizens be appointed with power
  to increase their number to arrange for a permanent organization in
  opposition to commercialized vice in Kansas City.


The objects of the Society are stated as follows:


  The Society is organized to abolish commercialized vice and to
  prevent the recognition of sexual immorality on the part of the city
  or state in any way other than constant opposition to and
  enforcement of laws against it;

  The enactment of further legislation to facilitate the abatement of
  the crime and injunction of property used for the purpose;

  A propaganda which shall by forewarnings cut off both demand and
  supply.

                  *       *       *       *       *


In writing of results already accomplished, this Society says:


  We closed all of the 63 immoral houses on the police fine list.
  Robert Thornton, resident U. S. officer to enforce the Mann Act,
  stated that about one-third of his list of 559 immoral women in
  Kansas City left town and that of the remainder from 100 to 150
  found respectable employment and would not return to their old ways.
  This shows a reduction of 50 per cent. of the immorality in Kansas
  City due to the 559 prostitutes on the government agent’s list.

  Since the closing of the red-light district in the north end the
  Society has shut up 15 or 20 other houses in various parts of the
  city. W. W. Knight, the newly appointed police commissioner, assures
  us that the town will be cleaned up. We have already given him
  information from our investigators which he says is very helpful.

  In coöperation with eleven other civic and religious organizations
  our society is bringing to Kansas City the next Congress of the
  World’s Purity Federation, which will convene November 5th to 9th,
  and will bring to Kansas City the very best specialists on social
  questions. The Congress will consider causes of the social evil and
  how best to combat them. It is believed that it will be a strong
  factor in molding public opinion on this subject.


                               SOCIETIES

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Woman's work in municipalitiesBeard, Mary Ritter

History

Woman's work in municipalities

Beard, Mary Ritter

Civic improvement; Urban women; Women in public life

Therefore, be it Resolved:

  That we as citizens of Kansas City in mass meeting assembled,
  unreservedly condemn the policy of the segregation of vice;

  That we abhor the iniquitous fine system by which we as citizens are
  forced to become partners in the profits of vice, and we favor
  whatever proceedings may be necessary to divorce the city from a
  participation in such profits;

  That we call upon the prosecuting attorney to use the full powers of
  his office to enforce the laws against vice;

  That we favor a state-wide campaign in Missouri for the enactment of
  a law similar to the Iowa injunction and abatement law;

  That a committee of representative citizens be appointed with power
  to increase their number to arrange for a permanent organization in
  opposition to commercialized vice in Kansas City.


The objects of the Society are stated as follows:


  The Society is organized to abolish commercialized vice and to
  prevent the recognition of sexual immorality on the part of the city
  or state in any way other than constant opposition to and
  enforcement of laws against it;

  The enactment of further legislation to facilitate the abatement of
  the crime and injunction of property used for the purpose;

  A propaganda which shall by forewarnings cut off both demand and
  supply.

                  *       *       *       *       *


In writing of results already accomplished, this Society says:


  We closed all of the 63 immoral houses on the police fine list.
  Robert Thornton, resident U. S. officer to enforce the Mann Act,
  stated that about one-third of his list of 559 immoral women in
  Kansas City left town and that of the remainder from 100 to 150
  found respectable employment and would not return to their old ways.
  This shows a reduction of 50 per cent. of the immorality in Kansas
  City due to the 559 prostitutes on the government agent’s list.

  Since the closing of the red-light district in the north end the
  Society has shut up 15 or 20 other houses in various parts of the
  city. W. W. Knight, the newly appointed police commissioner, assures
  us that the town will be cleaned up. We have already given him
  information from our investigators which he says is very helpful.

  In coöperation with eleven other civic and religious organizations
  our society is bringing to Kansas City the next Congress of the
  World’s Purity Federation, which will convene November 5th to 9th,
  and will bring to Kansas City the very best specialists on social
  questions. The Congress will consider causes of the social evil and
  how best to combat them. It is believed that it will be a strong
  factor in molding public opinion on this subject.


                               SOCIETIES

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Woman's work in municipalities

Woman's work in municipalities

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