Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-11-16
Crime and It's Causes
Mr.. Editor:

Crime and It's Causes
Mr.. Editor:
Would a recital Of conditions and
environments prevailing 3,O0O miles
from the homes of your readers, and
the good people of Vermont general
". who are in the enjoyment of hap
nv and protected homes, amid the
Businesses of the Green Mountain
state, be of any special interest IL
4 so, it might serve to make them love
their own the more.
i Los Angeles is great city OF over
half million people, comprising
nearly every nationality, religion
\ and language on earth, and undoubt-
edIy the wickedest city in America.
and kept on the map by eastern mon
ey and eastern tourists, yet 1t is the
mecca of the worst criminals on
earth, drawn there because get
! awav'' is easy and crime so often
GOES unwhipped of justice. Only
one day last week there were % v1o-
/ lent crimes reported, and the very
next dav 80 more of the very same
character from that of murder down,
and nearly as many arrests. Ana eV-
ery day it is about the same. during
one recent month, 30 people were
killed outright by AUTOMOBILES
through criminal carelessness ana
reckless driving, and AZ persons were
killed last month by the same causes
! and in the same city, while 5of were
seriously injured and taken to hos
nitais. There were 120 highway rob-
berries. Al hold-ups, and AZ burglarles
during the same month. During the
! frst eight months of this year, 1885
divorce suits were filed. The divorce
courts of Los Angeles grind contln-
uailv. crimes against society, muir,
ders, hold-ups, mail robDerles, ana
every conceivable crime are OF daily
! occurrence. The law-abiding people
are trying to get a much-needed IN
crease of police protection, yet many
taxpayers of no public spirit, to-
gether with an army OF cmlminals,
and those who profit by CRIME, are
i bitterly opposing, and have so IN
fiuenced the city council that adol-
tional police protection is refused.
The police protection of New York
City, per 1000 people, is nearly four
times greater than that of Los An
geles. Hollywood, suburb of boast
ed beauty, the home of the moving
picture colonies, by whose presence
the morals of the place are not I'M
proved, is suffering from the same
causes, lax police protection. d.
vorces are the rule, and not the ex-
ception among those worthless. There
must be a radical change In public
sentiment before such people living
in legalized adultery are made TO
: realize that they are not wanted IN
decent society. Fifty years ago
divorce WIS regarded a disgrace and
h11f
accepted as mark OF gcntli.ty ana
culture. l recently read of one
woman who had four living husbands
and now hunting the fifth; but even
, that is not as bad as woman IN
Idaho now on trial for poisoning her
fifth, husband, while all four previous
husbands had died by the same slow
poisoning-a regular female blue
; beard"
Three women are now in Los An
geles jail for murder. Two awaiting
sentence, and the third awaiting
trial, and only last week in an ad-
joining county was convicted OF man
, slaughter for shooting her husband.
Many women are getting bad out
, mere and becoming murderers and
bandits. There is certainly some
thing radically wrong. But one of
;, the most deplorable features con-
. nected with this wave of crime that
, is now sweeping the country every
where, is that vast majority of the
bandits are mere boys, young men
under 25-a sad and painful COM
mentary on their bringing up" No
parental moral training, no habits Of
industry, no God, but instead, bad
company, dissolute companions, NOV
les, joy-rides, then the call for mon
| fo11
do not condemn movies entirely,
) but I do condemn immoral actors
, and actresses who produce pictures
suggestive, misleading and unfit.
; Properly censored, they would be
Z very instructive, entertaining, inter-
t esting and amusing. Speaking of joy
t rides. hope they have not struck
3 Vermont, for they and promiscuous
dances are the Productive causes of
t the ruin of thousands of girls, and
: yet fool mothers Il mean unwise)
will still allow their girls to go with
dissolute sons Of rich fathers, who
have fine autos. Suicide follows. y
The climate of southern Califor-
r nearly ideal as can be found any
| where, and that is the lure. A very
comfortable place for old folks who
5 have a competence Where there IS
irrigation together with commercial
fertilizing and constant care, fruits
] and nuts of MANY varieties are sue
5 cessfullv Grown Dry-farming. how
) ever, consists almost entirely in the
: raising of beans and barley planted
: lata in the fall or winter and harvest
4 ed before June Winter is the RAINY
5 season beginning in Decembe~ and
: oont n1lino until April, off and on.
J Sometimes there are rains in earlier
) fall and later spring months. Then
: follows some eight months or more
with no rain at all, and during those
: long, dry months of continuous sun
: shine with various degrees. of heat,
t it would be very refreshing to carry