The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-11-05
THE COST OF CRIME.
MAGNITUDE OF THE BURDEN THE
NATION HAS TO CARRY.

Some Comparative Statistics-The Ma
tional Debt and the Estimated Value
of yice-AdditionaI Data-A Few
Words to the Wise.
No doubt there are many who think that
interest in the care of the criminal and the
unfortunate is an idle sentiment, more credit
able to the heart than to the head of him who
feels it, or at least that this is matter with
which men in ordinary life have no concern
The growth of spirit of Indifference to the
whole subject is promoted by our system OF
local self government and divided authority
If the budgets for the support of institutions
devoted to the care of these classes could be
consolidated, and the actual amount Of the
drain upon the people of the country which
they involve were known, popular interest in
them would receive a sudden impulse. It is
pitiable TO think that human nature is so gross
that financial considerations have more weight
than any other. But inasmuch as dollars and
cents are a universal language, Ineligible to
everybody we will try to give our readers
some idea of the magnitude of the burden
which the nation has to carry, by reducing it
TO a money standard.
SOME STARTLING FIGURES.
Four hundred and fifty thousand insane,
idiotic deaf, blind, pauper or criminal ill.,
habitants of the United States COST for their
annual maintenance, probably not less, on
the average, than $175 each, directly or in
directly, or let us say $75, ,000,0 600 in the ag-
gregate Seventy-five million dollars is
per capita tax of S1.50 on every man,
woman and child in America, which we pay
almost without our knowledge. At per
cent. it is the interest on s., SOC, 100000. And
what is s., SOC, 900, ,OOOs When the census OF
1880 was taken the national debt of the
United States was 50, 120, ,415,370. The invest
ment in the debt did not equal the per1na-
nent Investment in misfortune and crime
represented in the returns of the defective.
dependent and delinquent classes.
The. total permanent investments by the
railroad corporations, including construction,
equipment, lands, stocks, bonds, telegraph
lines, etc., were $5, 1872 AZ, SOC. Our invest
ment in crime and misfortune was about hall
of that in railroads. The amount invested in
railroads is about equivalent to the valuation
of the yearly products of manufacturers.
which was reported at S., 800 $40, 191 Were
one-half of all the moneys received by manu-;
facturers i'll any single year to be set apart as
special fund for the care of the criminal and
unfortunate, and invested at 8 per cent, the
whole of the interest received would be ab.
sorbed. The value of farm products is not
quite half that of manufactured articles; IL
is S2,H7, SIS, ,G5S. The whole of the farm
products of the United States for one year
would not be more than sufficient for the
creation of the fund suggested.
ADDITIONAL DATA
The assessed valuation of the state of New
oAov
than the amount Of capital required for the
care of our unfortunates and criminals. The
assessed value of the six New England
states was so,652, 100000. All of New Eng
land, with her Cities her mills and her banks
would not be more than enough to appro
pirate to this special purpose, If the capitaliZa
ton of this expenditure werea necessity.
And yet the men who see these relations are
dreamers, while those who shut their eyes tc
them are not The world eSteems and ap-
plauds him who shows it how to add to its
gains by increased receipts from agriculture
or the mechanic arts or by diminished charges
for doing the business. But it has no word
of oommendation and no hand of help for tie
man who points out that further element
must be taken into the calculation before the
balance is struck between gain and losses
that the stoppage of the leak occasioned by
the growth Of classes of the population who
are, to large extent, incapable of self sup
port might prove to be fresh source of in
come Such reasoning is too remote and Cir
cuitous; it is visionary, and with that word
it is dismissed. But why should students pore
over tables of figures ON every other subject
under heaven and neglect this, which lies sc
much nearer to the life of humanity? Is il
nothing, to seek to improve the efficiency and
economy of necessary but painful seryice
to labor for the mitigation of suffering! to
assuage where we cannot cure! and to hunt
for means of preventing the spread of the
contagion Of fgrief.-International Record