The declared purpose of the provisions of this article is to prevent criminally inclined persons from going from house to house in the city, representing themselves to be canvassers for newspapers, magazines, periodicals, books and all other publications, and by reason of such pretense informing themselves as to the possibility of committing burglary or larceny at the premises so visited, thereby increasing and facilitating the commission of such crimes. (Prior code § 10.02.080)