Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-23
Entered at the Newport NswB. Wa.
Postoffice No seeond-class matter.
FRIDAY, AUGUST %, 1907.
ENORMOUS COST OF KEEPING
THE CRIMINAL POOR.

Prof. Charles J. Bushnell, OF Wash
ington, d. c., some time ago made the
startling statement that this country
is going eventually into bankruptcy
because Of the enormous expenditures
that are being made for the criminal
panpers and the vicious classes Of
population. He says that the Federal
and state governments and private In
stitutions are spending the immense
sum of $G,00O.000,0O0 annually for this
the annual increase OF the national
wealth Is only $4,000, 100000 Tho
figures were disputed by number
of persons who make II study OF such
matters. and now Prof. Bushnell Is
out with second statement In which
he makes an elaborate and careful
calculation to substantiate his first
assertions. He first sets forth the
fact that his tables are based on In
formation from ca different govern.
mcnt and private institutions which
show that 100000 people of the
United States. or one-cishth of the
population, are plunged In n condi-
ton OF such poverty that they are
unable to sustain themselves In state
of physical efficiency, and something
more. than 100000 of them are pub
lie paupers, that in 1899, which WAS
one of the prosperous years. lS per
cent OF all the people of the State of
New York had to apply for charitable
relief; that In 1908, II per cent. of all
the families in the borough of Man
haitian were evicted and that about
10 per cent OF all who die have n
paupers grave. Moreover he asserts
that the Federal statistics establish
the fact that tho average wage Of the
nnskilled workman throughout the
country "is less than tho scientific
minimum necessary for maintaining
the average worklngman's family in
physical efficiency" and this, he be-
lieves, Is responsible for the fact that
the last three censuses of the United
States show that the insane increase
faster proportionately than the popu
lation.
According to the official reports of
State and Federal institutions, Prof.
Bushnell writes. there arc at the
present time under continuous chart
table care 100000 dependents includ
ing paupers. insane, blind. dumb and
INDECENT. representing dead loss
every year equal to the total wealth
invested In colleges, universities and
chronological schools. One OF the chief
sources OF this abnormal dependence
is the vast number of accidents occur
ring to the persons employed in the
industries, estimated at more than l.
100000 year. and about 90 per cent.
of which cause the families OF the
injured TO be thrown upon public
charity. What Prof. Bushnell regards
as the most ominous fact disclosed
by the statistics is the steady in
crease OF poverty and crime In the
twenty-year period from 1885 to 1905.
during which time suicide increased
five times rs fast as the population.
murders increased three times as fast.
and twothirds OF all the crime and
disorder were connected with drunk
enness, which is rapidly increasing.
as the consumption of Intoxicating
liquors In the last twenty-seyen years
has Increased from eight gallons to
more than twenty gallons for every
man. woman and child in the United
States.
Prof Rushnell's reputation as stat