Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-29
INCREASE OF CRIME
DR.. Mcdonald Submits a Re-
port to Congress.
RAPID DEVELOPMENT
ONE GROUND OF SOCIAL ABNoR-
MALITIES.
What Statistics Show as to Localities
-Unwelcome Accompaniment to
Development of Women.
RAPID DEVELOPMENT

1T may be said. with few exceptions,
that within the last thirty Of forty years
there has been an increase, relative to pop
ulation, in crime, suicide. insanity and
other forms Of abnormality."
This Is the startling statement with
which DR.. Arthur Macdonald, specialist
in the United States bureau Of education,
begins report on this subject, which has
just been submitted for the information of
Congress.
DR.. Macdonald makes no effort to exae-
gerate this increase He declares that some
OF 1t may doubtless be accounted for in the
more stringent methods Of gathering data,
but 1t ts his opinion that these better meth
DDS OF obtaining information will not by
far account for the increase shown.
1T would SEEM" he continues, that the
increase Is due more to the rapid develop
to any specific cause. Thus, there has not
only been relative increase in social alb
normalities. but In many other things, such
as education intelligence. wealth and in
comforts OF living for the poor"
What Statistics Show.
Dwelling further on this connection be-
tween increased crime and increased lux
ury. DR.. Macdonald says that statistics
show that in our own country the groups Of
states which show the greatest education
and intelligence, as the north Atlantic
north central and western, also exceed in
insanity, suicide, nervous diseases, Juvenile
criminals and almshouse paupers. It Is not
to be assumed, however, says DIR. Mac
Donald, that education and intelligence
tend to increase social evils. 1t might be
as justly argued that the consumption Of
sugar and the number Of divorces granted
in certain section had a relation to each
other. There is no doubt that all of these
factors may be related in some way, but
just how has not yet been definitely de-
cfnherpd annnciafad nv Macdonald
In connection with the increase in crime,
etc, he sets down the fact that there has
been during the same forty-year period a
constant condensation of population, as
illustrated in the increase of urban over
rural population. Another factor given
a possible cause is that while the consump-
ton of wheat, coffee and other grains has
increased per capita the consumption Of
malt liquors and sugar has increased much
more. This might be interpreted as a ten
dency toward less solid, less staple or more
artificial food, since the consumption Of
meat and potatoes has decreased.
Some Of the Reasons.
In giving his opinion of some OF the
causes for the increase in crime DR.. Mac
Donald continues:
1.-THE rapid development of society, as we
have suggested, is possibly one Of the main
causes OF the increase Of crime and abnor-
marty; it includes a great number Of new
inventions. increased opportunities for
travel, and the enterprise of the press en-
abling us to read all the news Of the world
at breakfast. was quite otherwise fifty
years ago.
This hate Of civilization, involving many
transition periods, puts an abnormal strain
upon the nervous system as compared with
the muscular system. Thus the electric
car, automobile, and the telephone tend to
make people exercise less and tink more A
reaction has Sc: in already through the de-
VelODmeQt of systems of physical culture,
The less cost of living and the increase of
wealth, with the luxuries Of the table, have
tended to oVer-eating, which, In connection
with lack of exercise, has had its evil eff
fects, and doubtless produced an additional
reaction on the nervous system. When the
nerves are unstrupg by overpressure the
will may become weak, depression and pes
simism set in, and loss of self-cOntrol fol-
low with its consequent abnormal actions
leading on to crime and other social evils.
I'm the statistics of crime some special
points may be noted. The youth as COM
pared with adults have committed more
crimes as society has developed. Suicide
among children has greatly increased; this
might be regarded as a symptom of dis
eased precociousness.
AS to Women.
1.-The recent rapid development Of women
by entering more and more into the work
of men, a transition involving great strain.
seems to have some unwelcome accom-
paniments. In Vienna, for instance, gen.
eral paralysis, mans disease, is increas-
ing among women. In Belgium insanity
and suicide have been growing relatively
faster in women than in men. In Aus
tria 1t has been found that the criminal in
f1ux into cities Is relatively greater in
women than in men and the effects Of here
dity are greater upon women than upon
men.
IF we shake the tree the bad apples fall
first. So in periods of rush and strain the
weaknesses Of human nature become more
apparent. But this increase in evil may be
only a temporary one, due to the neces-
sary pressure of adaptablity to modern
civilization. The increase in crime, for in
stance Is not necessarily proof that the
world Is growing worse. Periods Of de-
cline in history show that the world does
not srrnu better In q STRAIGHT line nnurard ,,