Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-18
Shortcomings Of Present Court
Observation-Disclosures OF Alco-
hoIic RepeaterS-Remedy.
FARM COLONIES ADVOCATED
Medical Authorities Are Una nhupus In
Their BcEcf In the Black TO
Tie Land" Cure.

yExellsive seryre The Survey Press
BureauD
NEBRIETY Is the source of many
of the most important problems OF
government. Recent figures show
that 2S.s per cent of the male cases
OF insanity In New York are due to
excessive ue of alcohol. In Pennsyl-
vania ~ per cent of the imbeciles owe
their condition to intemperancc. 30 to
40 per cent ID epileptic cases have
their origin In alcoholism. The re-
port OF the board of prison commits
sloners Of Massachusetts for 1905
states that S6,366 or 60 per cent of
the total arrests we're made for public
intoxication. Drum kenness as a cause
OF poverty is continually noticed In
everyday life
In spite OF the p rominence Of the
problem, we have be en- content every
where to adopt n lais sez faire attitude.
The imprOvdencc of the habtual
drunkard in proverblil. The improvl-
dence of state. county. municipal and
town governing agencies Is equally
fact
The treatment Of the problem In
New York city Is tyIacal OF the
practise in nearly all tie large cities.
In 1908, 1891 were arrested for in
toxication. The magistrate of one
court where the records were care
fully indexed, discharged 1,402 OF the
cases appearing before him or ig.9 per
cent OF the remaining cases 20 per
cent were committed to the work.
house. rs per cent we're pat on UrOba-
ton and the rest hised from one TO 10
dollars each. Two-thirds of those fined
were committed for inability to pay
the amount imposed
FINES AND SENTENCES
SO far as fines are paid. they
are usually met by the friends
or relatives or those arraigned.
They pay rather than suffer further
disgrace. The iinc paid In this way Is
quite useless so far as IT affects the
person lined.
The use Of the short sentence Is even
more ineffective. The man leaves the
district prison OF workhouse without
money and In most cases without
friends. He can secure shelter In a
saloon and probably by performing
mental service for the bartender get
a drink This * the most natural thing
for him to do. The alcoholic repeater
is the natural result OF the short sem
tence
The more acute crises are cared for
In the public wards Of the hospitals.
In 1908 1000 or II 600 cases were
treated from two to five days. They
permanent bcneft.
TYPICAL CASES.
The number OF persons who appear
again and again Tor drunkenness H.
alarming In one case, man now
81 wears Of age has been In the work
house 81 separate times. He has lpcut
3.l63 days there at total cost for
maintenance alone OF 81 ,S6S53 Another
case has been in the wOrkhousc "a diff
ferent times, in the alcoholic ward
OF a city hospital 81 times. in the mu-
ncipal lodging house twice. in thu
almshouse once and in two other nos
pitfalls two times each. He has spent a
total Of l9i3 days in these various
places at a total cost Of 81 323 II. SIN
another case, man about 81 years ~
age has been in the workhouse, aims
house. or hospitals Il times ur a total
OF 1854 days at "a total cost OF s., 492 81.
In Utica, New York. one person has
appeared before the police court az
least 100 times FOR public intOx cation
Although the charter of New York
city calls for a cumulative sentence for
those who have been sent to the work
house once or more within the preced-
ing two years. the provision is practi-
cally imperative through lack OF adc-
quate means OF identification. Also I'm
New York there is no law by which an
habitual drunkard who does not become
publicly obnoxious can be committed
TO any Institution.
There Is substantial unanimity as t.
the general lines along which change
should be made The finger print sys-
tenn Of Identification has been thor
oughlv tried out and should be em-
nloyed in each court after conviction
Magistrate could then adapt the scu-
tence To the record Of the person.
GRADED SERIES
A graded series Of remedies is need
cd First offenders should be released
without their appearance In court.
For the next grade OF cases probation
should be tried and fine imposed To-