Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-28
Editorial Comment
One Way to Check Crime
(Boston Herald)

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Will the so-called crime wave"
ever Nrecede? If not, why not?
Some students of our crime prob
lens have sought for answers be-
yond our northern boundary. They
have become interested in the re-
markable- celebrity and efficiency Of
the Canadian administration Of jus
tice, and they report that crimes
are comparatively few in Canada be-
cause the lawis enforced there, that
jurors are not d&zed and bewildered
by continuous reiteration of the
phrase beyond a reasonable doubt"
that judicial machinery Is simple
and courts and police forces are not
mixed up with politics, and, above
all, perhaps, because the lash is one
of the punitive implements recog-
niZed in the Canadian criminal code.
Flogging may be administered for
certain number of limited crimes,
including highway robbery, robbery
with violence, and burglary. The
Judge prescribes the number Of
lashes. and they usually are divided
the maximum psychological effect"
employed. Contrary to the state
ments heard in this country 1t is
claimed by a recent investigator
that the lash is not discredited in
Canada, but that pronounced senti-
ment in its favor exists in the chief
cities and throughout the country.
The criminal breads the lash more
than any other penalty. 1t does
check crime. Vancouver had an out
break OF highway robberies. The
lash ended the wave" for a long
time. When a certain crime was
epidemic in Calgary the application
of the "cat" terminated the offence
for good. Flogging put a com
piete stop" to highway robbery in
Winnipeg. A Montreal magistrate
has said that 'the whip is most
potent instrument for keeping crime
down" In two years he has sem
fenced fifteen men to be whipped.
also are equipped with "the strap"
which differs as the name implies
from the '.cat," and Is employed for
the punishment of some additional
crimes. Lashings are inflicted in the
presence of physicians, who must
see that the prisoner is physically
able to endure the whipping and on
the other hand, that he does not NAL
iIfger to avoid punishment.
Whatever may be said of the eff
ficacy of the lash as a deterrent of
crime, the statistics seem to show
that in ratio. to population, crime Ii
far less prevalent In Canada than
here. Our murder rcte Is eleven
times that of Canada. Here there
is one execution to ninety murders:
there the ratio is one in Ave, with
one murderer in seven sent to the
penitentiary for life. Moreover, of
the fifty seven murders in Canada
in 1920, there were twenty.six con-
victions within that same year. A
striking disparity with procedure in
the United States Ia indicated by
this incident in the court of Kings
bench In Montreal. A young woman
is charged with rnanslaughter by the
administration OF fatal dose Of
heroin. The justice addressed the
jury in these words: while you
are absolute masters of this case,
think I should tell you that in my
humble opinion there Is no doubt at
all that the prisoner Is guilty." The
jury brought in verdict IN seven
teen minutes.
life or good behavior by the Domin-
ion government and they rntist be
impeached by Parliament to be re-
moved. Chiefs OF police are APP
pointed for the same tenure, 80 that
change of administration does not
mean an overturn in the police de-
partment. And. what seems marvel
lous thing, it is said that in the high
court at OTTAWA q jury for a muir
der trial may be obtained in twenty
minutes and that such trials are al
most Invariably finished IN q single
day" although there is tradition
that q murder trial once lasted for
two whole days!'s