The Irish standard., 1914-08-08

SNS"s"St)S$SASA&NSNSNSHS u
losses they cause through theft. in
cendiarism, etc.
Figures of such denominations
are so bewildering that the average
person cannot conceive of what they
mean. A better idea of it can be
shown when it is said that this out
lay annually would build twelve
Panama canals. 1t is six times as
much as Congress appropriated for
ann national expenses at the close of
the last fiscal year.
1t is more than the governments
of the United States, Germany,
France and Great Britain paid out
for all governmently purposes in the
year 1912, year that was character
lied by huge national drains because
of building big battleships in Europe
The money cost in the United
States is divided among the national
governments and the states. The
Massachusetts, prison association has
estimated that in that state alone the
annual crime bill is $6,50O,OOO.
And in spite of this outlay, crime
is increasing in this country instead
of decreasing.
Prison reform began in the United
States short time after the civil
war. In the last few years it has
received extraordinary impetus in
the way of remedial legislation, in
determinate sentences, juvenile
courts, parole systems, industrial
employment of convicts, etc. Yet in
spite of this remains the fact, care
fully substantiated by special census
reports submitted to Congress, that:
"In relation to the increase of
population there are two and one
half times as many persons in the
prisons of the United States as there
were fifty years ago, figured on a per
capita basis. Yet in Great Britain
there has been nearly so per cent
decrease in the same time, although
there has been a so per cent increase
in population"
These figures have to do only with
persons actually convicted and pun
ished for crime. H. G. Weir, an in
vestigator of note, in an article
printed in the Literary Digest, Feb
ruary ~, 1910, declared that there
are annually in the United States
100000 members whom the law
never touches.
Bad as that is, it is not the worst
economic feature of the situation.
The late J. P. Altgeld, Governor of
Illinois, estimated in an address that
in addition to the regular police and
detectives there are about 10000
constables, 10000 magistrates, 49,
900 deputy sheriffs and 1000 sher-
ifs who, together with the grand
jurors, petit jurors. judges. clerks,
lawyers, jailers, wardens, guards
prison attendants, etc., make up a
conservative estimate of 100000
persons who derive an average an
nual income of about $4,000 each,
out of the apprehension, conviction
and detention of criminals. The es-
timated total number of regular po-
licemen in the United States is 3OO,-
600. At an average of $1,000 salary
the average annual payroll for po-
licemen is s3OO,OOO,0O0.
Adding to this mighty army the
132,S57 prisoners in this country,
we have force of 1,132,S57 men.
Besides such force the mightiest
armies of history, the combatants in
any of the worlds greatest battles,
from Crecy to the fall of Adrianople,
would be pitiful corporal's guard
in comparison.
Plus x is not Against Unions.
A few days ago cable dispatch
from Rome announced that priests
had been forbidden to "join labor
unions in Italy on the ground that
the organizations provoke class
hatred and consequently division
among Catholics" The decree of
the Sacred Consistorial Congregation
on which this dispatch of the Asso-
citation Press was based, has now ar
rived and we find that it has nothing
whatever to do with Labor Unions
and is only another instance of the
curious way the Associated Press
has of distorting Catholic news. The
plain facts of the case are these.
Certain ill-advised priests in the
north of Italy had joined associations
of Syndicalists whose doctrine of
"direct action" in social questions is
subversive of all authority, both hui
man and divine. The Holy See very
properly and promptly forbade
priests to have anything whatever to-
do with such revolutionary associa-
tions.
The decree reads in part:
Wherefore, to provide, as far as
may be, against this great evil, our
most Holy Lord, Pope Plus x, has
1T L.