Evening star., 1903-12-07
AMENDMENT OF LAWS
Annual Report Of the Attor-
ney General.
IN RENTED BUILDINGS
CALLS ATTENTION TO FACT THAT
THEY ARE NOT FIREPRoOF.
Suggests Remedies for Naturalization
Frauds-Would Change the
Statute of Limitations.
IN RENTED BUILDINGS

In his annual report Attorney General
Knox calls attention to the fact that the
Department of Justice continues to occupy
rented quarters. Since 1889 rented quar-
ters have been used. The official rorce' ne
saws. is now distributed in seven buildings
and the total rent paid is s25, 200 per annum.
Mr.. Knox says:
The buildings are not fireproof. There
is not a vault in any of the buildings occu-
pied by the department, and all once rec
ords. documents, papers and books are ex-
posed to the ravages of a fire. Under the
supervision Of the chief engineer of the nre
department additional appliances for ex-
ting1lishing fire have been installed, and all
possfble precautions are being taken 10
protect the buildings and their contents
Remedy for Naturalization Frauds.
Mr. Knox refers to the large number OF
naturalization frauds being practiced and
the pressing and grave need for reforms
in the field of naturalization, for amend
ment and extension of the existing laws,
and recommends the enactment OF law
which will provide the following results:
Il. The omission from the statutes as
they now stand of the question of intent
and guilty knowledge where an onenoer
has in his possession fradulent certlncate
of naturalization unlawfully OBTAINED IN
any manner whatever, or where fraudu-
tent certificate so held and obtained is USED
for any purpose whatever. Such chanse
would permit prosecutions for tue posses
sion Of fraudulent certificate unlawfully
obtained, or for the use Of fraudulent Ger
tifcste irrespective Of the intent of the
oa tn of the applicant and witness on the
certificate, which is to be regarded as pre-
senting merely a question of fact
"2. That the law be amended 80 as 10
fho ffr,na
for citizenship to present from the ap-
propriate immigration authorities certiii-
cate showing his age and the date OF ms
arrival, and containing also his physical
This certificate should form a part Of the
court records, like his application for
citizenship.
'3 The petition and application and all
certificates should be uniform throughout
the United States, and the final certificate
of citizenship issued by any court through
out the country should contain physical
dc scription of the applicant and holder on
the back thereof for the purpose OF identl-
fCation and to avoid substitution.
"a. The certificates should be printed in
Washington under government direction,
containing watermark similar to United
States obligations, and the unlawful posses
sion of or counterfeiting Of such certificates
should be made an offense against the
United States. The blank certificates should
be distributed to the various courts on
requisition. and each one should be prop
erly numbered and recorded.
'5. The power Of issuing certificates of
should be withdrawn by Con-
gress from the various state courts and
should be restricted to United States courts.
''6. All administrative matters relating to
naturalization should be committed to one
central government bureau.
II. 1t should be made crime against the
United States to sell or transfer declara-
tions Of intention, and it should be provided
that after sufficient proof has been submit
ted to court establishing the fact that a
certificate is fraudulent In any respect said
certificate shall be Cancelled Of record
Mr.. Knox asks that the antitrust law
appropriation of $500 900 be made available
for the enforcement Of laws Of the United
States generally, and especially those re-
lating to public lands, postal crimes and
naturalization offenses.
Statute Of Limitations.
Mr.. Knox recommends amendments to a
number of laws. but especially one chang
ing the statute Of limitation. He says:
THE bar of such statutes in my judg-
ment, rests in many cases upon the passage
of too brief period Of time after the COM
mission Of the offense. 1t seems to me that
two or three years, as is ordinarily the
case, Is not sufficient period in reason or
upon principle to terminate certain criminal
liabilities and condone particular offenses
especially In relation to offenses directly
against the property Of the government or
its administration. as shown by recent reve-
lations respecting postal affairs and pub
lie lands, and especially where such Of
fenses have been committed by officers or
employees of the government. l am strongly
of the opinion that the limitation to bar
prosecutions in such cases should be at
The very fact that such offenders stand
In a relation of trust to the government.
that public service should elicit the highest
standards of patriotism. honor and honesty.
and that government officers and employees.
by reason of their positions. are often en-
abled to conceal for years a course of lis
honest and criminal dealing in which they
are participating directly or indirectly-all
these considerations, / say, call for an ex-
tension of the period of limitation l earn
estly recommend the passage of appropriate
laws which shall accomplish the desired o.
tect."
Mr. Knox refers to some Of the important
cases decided by the United States Supreme
Court during the year in which the gov
ernment was interested.
Local Institutions.
Relative to local institutions the report
contains the following:
The report Of the board Of trustees of
the reform school of the District Of Colum-
bia shows that at the beginning Of the last
fiscal year there were in the school 25O
BOYS There were received during the year
III, a total of 421, as against 400 for the
previous year. There were discharged dur
ing the year 151, leaving in the school June
80 1903, 27O.
II agree with what the trustees say as
to the method of appropriating for the sal
aries of the school employees and as to the
absolute necessity for the erection Of n
new family building, and indorse both Of
these recommenda tions. Congress should
act upon them both a the present session.
THE report of the board OF trustees of
the reform school for girls, District Of Co.
lumbia. shows that larger number of in
mates have been confined in the school dur
ing the year ending June 30, 1908, than dur
ing any other year since the erection of the
school; that there was an increase in the
number OF colored inmates from 81 on July
/. 1902. to 20 on June 80, 1908 and a de-
crease in the number of white inmates from
8 on July 1. 1902. to on June 3O 1903.
at appears from the report of the board
of trustees that 1t Is dfffcult to obtain end
retain competent Industrial teachers at the
salaries now provided by law. 1t also ap-
pears by the report that these salaries are
below the average salaries paid for similar
services In other institutions, and recon-
mend that the salaries of these industrial
teachers be increased from $500 per annum
TO S420. l also recommend that an addi-
tional industrial teacher be provided
The report of the warden of the District
jail accompanies this report. During the
past fiscal year the institution has been