The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-03-01
Gun TOting
BY NEA Service.

One out of every $4,000 persons in
the United States will die at the hands
of murderer in 1923-if the present
murder rate is maintained.
Most of these murders will be COM
mitted with the aid of revolver or it's
more up-to-date kinsman, the automat-
&c. pistol.
For these are, the handiest of all
murder tools. They're easily concealed
on the person of the slayer. Little
skill or courage is required in their
operation.
Can frequent murder in the United
States-often described as "the big
gest blot on American civilization
be checked if revolvers and pistols are
made difficult--or impossible-to Sc
cure.
What is being done to keep these
man-killers out of the hands Of potent
| ial murderers?
! Or what should be done?
To answer these questions compre-
hensively the Kenosha News through
NEA Service has conducted a survey
of the 48 states in which scores of
police chiefs have been interviewed
and the gun-toting situation in every
important American city has been
thoroughly analysed,
This survey-the most sweeping of
its kind ever shows:
THAT while carrying of conceal
ed deadly weapons without proper per-
nit is almost universally forbidden by
state law or municipal ordinance, there
is wide variation in the strictness with
which such regulations are enforced
THAT the sale of deadly Weapons is
unrestricted over wide areas, with only
sporadic attempts here and there to
prevent purchase of weapons by po-
tential killers.
THAT where regulations restricting
the sale of weapons do exist, they are
nullifed by the ease with which Grim
inals can go to another state or city
to buy weapons or purchase them by
mail and thus have them delivered by
an agency of the United States govern
ment itself!
THAT police chiefs are practically
unanimous in, a demand that the sale
Of pistols be absolutely barred by. fed
eral law except to persons Whof have
legitimate business with such weap-
! ons. u
The survey shows startling differ
ences between states and between
municipalities regarding regulation OF
the sale of weapons.
There is no restrictions on the pur-
chase of pistols or revolvers in Maine,
Georgia, South Dakota, New Hamp-
shire, Arkansas, Indiana, Pennsylvania,
Kentucky, Vermont, Colorado, Mime
sofa, New Mexico, Wyoming, New Jer-
sey, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, North
Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Arizona,
Florida or Maryland,
In most cities of these states re-
volvers can be purchased by anyone
at any hardware or secondhand store
and displays of deadly weapons grace
the windows of many shops.
State laws in all these states, how
ever, forbid the carrying of concealed
deadly weapons by municipal ordin-
ances in Reno and elsewhere.
A municipal ordinance in Portland,
Me-, and a state law in Maryland force
the dealer to register the name and
address of every person purchasing a
revolver or pistol.
Albuquerque, N. NJ, prohibits the
sale of weapons to aliens. Mime
sofa is planning an elaborate set of
regulations to prevent sales to under
sirable persons.
Elsewhere the sale of weapons is
more, or less restricted by state or
city gulations-~usually the latter.
Permits for Purchase Required.
| The most usual regulation provides
that every purchaser of revolver
or pistol must present to the dealer a
permit from the chief of police, sher-
if or from designated judge.
The dealer then is required to report
the sale within "a hours to police head
quarters, giving the name of the pur-
chaser, his age, occupation and address
and the make and serial number Of