Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-06-05
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York an annual expenditure sumclehI
to build a new subway every year.
Last year, for example. the items OF
expenditure fairly chargeable to this
cause alone reached a total OF $780,
562,l33.24, an amount sufficient to de-
fray the cost of the Fourth Avenue
Subway fer which some Brooklynites
are clamoring so irsistently, and
leave something like s10,OOO,OOO or
$4,000 900 over to be applied 20 other
needed improvements. State. county
and city authorities in the State, out
side Of Greater New York, spent S42,'
6O5,473 for the prevention, detection
and punishment OF crime.
The average citizen, too busy or 100
Indifferent to regard details which 40
not come under his immediate ooser-
walton, is apt to cherish the delusion
that the cost of maintaining the 20
lice Department. the criminal courts,
prison and reformatory institutions
represents the cost OF crims to the
community. As a matter OF TACT, as
he begins dimly TO realize when he
takes stock of his missing vaAuablee
the morning after a successful raid Oh
his coy fax. they are only a few OF
the items which enter into the cost o.
crime. One Of the first to be brought
to his attention after his own direct
personal loss will be the Ddstrict-At-
.orney's office. Which. with IT'S many
assistants and elaborate machinery
for bringing the crfHinal TO justice.
adds nearly half a million a year to
the cost of crime to the city OF New
York. The figures for 1907 were
s424,1S0, which should be added TO
the s1S,S49,S41 appropriated for the
maintenance Of the Police Depart
ment.
Besides these more conspicuous
items. 1t has been pointed out by Eu'
gene Smith. who made an exhaustive
study of the subject for the lnterna-
tional Prison Congress a few years
ago, that there is hardly any item OF
public expenditure that is not directly
or indirectly enlarged by reason OF
the existence of crime that would not
be diminished il crime would be Grad
icated. Existing methods of record
ing such expenditures afford made
ouate means of ascertaining exactly
what proportion is chargeable to
crime. 1t would be impos Sible to
say, for instance, what proportion OF
the time of our State legislators and
officials is devoted to the preparation
of penal statutes, the erection AMI
regulation of penal institutions and ap-
preparations for their maintenance.
In the same way the executive depart
ment of the State government, which
is charged with the enforcement OF
the law and listens to appeal from its
judgments, is brought into almost
continuous contact with crime. Sew
eral Of our courts have both criminal
AID civil Jurisdiction.
The criminal business makes vastly
greater drafts upon the public treas
ury. however, for the reason that in
civil cases costs and counsel fees are
borne by the parties at issue. while
in criminal cases all charges and
fees. frequently including fees for tn
prisoners attorney, are a matter OF
public expense. Three great murder
trials of recent years-those of Mol
ineux, Patrick and Harry K. Thaw
added several hundred thousand
dollars each to the total figures of the
cost of crime to New York.
The military expenses of the State
are another item a proportion oil
which is manifestly chargeable to the
cost Of crime, since the chief value OF
the National Guard in times of peace
is as a standing menace to evil-doers.
Even the regular army is sometimes
called upon to perform police duty.
PENNSYLVANIA, Montana, Colorado, Ne.
vada and some OF the other Western
States have had experience OF this
within recent years.
The inmates Of almshouses, asy'
lums and similar institutions number
approximately 100000 for the country
at large, one-ffth OF which are sup
ported by private charity, the other
fcur-fifths at a public expense OF
nearly s5O.OOOO0O annually. Crime
more than all other causes combined
operates to crowd these public inst,
tutions and it seems moderate estl
mate to ascribe 10 that cause d;
least cne-half of the expense Of main
tanning public charities. That mean:
a little more than 100000 for the
city OF New York.
The Sheriff's Office is another insti
tutioa one-half the expense of which
has been assigned to crime, and tn
same proportion is held to be just o.
various other departments of city AM
county administrations, Including IA
Department OF Public Buildings
Lighting and Supplies, the Coroner!
Office and rents paid for Offices am
buildings in which to house the sew
eral departments Of government.
Other items of public expense prop
erly chargeable In part to crime ant
the results OF crime are the mainten
ance OF the County Clerks office, tbs
Department of Finance. the Depart
ment OF Taxes, Commissioners Of Ac
counts, the Department Of Health, tn,
Fire Department, each in the proper
ton OF 20 per cent, and Law Depart
ment, Commissioner Of Jurors and Su
preme Court expenses, each 10 pc
cent. In the total estimate SHOULD