The Recurring Scandal of the Red Light District
A citizen's letter alleging the return of vice signals in the 'Sandberg district' forces the city council to address the mayor's controversial tolerance of restricted zones.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The 'Sandberg district' problem is now up to the council. Last night, Mary E. Brown of 8004 South Twelfth Street sent a letter to the city council: 'From reliable sources I learn that what is known as the restricted district in Tacoma is inhabited, the vice signals and signs are again in place. As a taxpaying citizen interested in the physical and moral health of the community, I ask, yes, demand, an investigation and explanation.' Councilman Rankin moved that the matter be referred to the police and license committee. Mr. W. Jamieson, who chairs this committee and led previous impeachment efforts against the mayor for failing to enforce laws, took up the case. The mayor maintains that a restricted district is the only solution, arguing that abolishing it simply scatters residents into rooming houses throughout the city.
“How can it be otherwise when those sworn to enforce the laws openly ignore and trample upon them?”
This reflects the eternal 'Not In My Backyard' vs. 'Managed Harm Reduction' debate that has defined city administration for a century. The tension between morality-based policing and practical urban management remains a point of contention in Tacoma's political discourse.
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