Evening star., 1924-03-17
SEES WASHINGTON
0VERRUN BY CRIME
More Murderous Than Lon.
don, More Drunken Than
Paris, Mr.. Tinkham Says.


George Holden Tinkham of Massa-
chusetts. He bases this conclusion
on official figures tabulated by the
metropolitan police department and
submitted to Congress: to justify the
estimates for appropriations neces-
sary to enable the Capital police to
cope with the alarming situation.
The sensational increase in ar
rests shown in this report to the sub
committee of the House appropria-
tions committee drafting the District
OF Columbia appropriation bill, Of
which Representative Tfnkham is
member. is due Principally, he ar
gues, to breaking down of the
moral fiber of society.
Assigns Three Causes.
Representative Tinkham ;lsoribes
as the three principal causes OF this:
Assumption of political and legisla-
tive domination by certain church or
ganizations.
Loss OF confidence in recent Con-
crosses and laws passed by them.
Decadencc of the American home.
statistics: of arrests in the Capital
OF the United States as reported Off
cially to Congress disclose civic
depravity and social disintegratton
which are both appalling and unbe-
lievable.'' said Representative Tink-
ham today. Were they not exact
calculations formally submitted to
metropolitan police department the
figures could not be accepted as true.
Quotes Statistics.
These statistics reveal that al
though. according to the census. there
was An increase in population from
1910 to 1920 of only S2.17 per cent
and there has been only 4 very slight
further increase to 1923. the follow
ing percentages of Increase in ar
rests for crime between the year 1910
A- the year 1923 have taken place:
Murder FL per cent: manslaughter.
$50 per cent: assault with dangerous
weapon. 301 per cent; assault with in
tent to kill. 2S per cent; robbery, 10"
per cent: bigamy, So per cent: false
pretense. So per cent: forgery. 160 per
cent; grand larceny, 157 per cent;
housebl eaking, 50 per cent: rape and
intent to rape, Il per cent: threats OF
rying weapons. 81 per cent; adultery,
o01 per cent: fornication, 1875 per
cent; disorderly house, 1888 per cent:
soliciting prostitution. $3.50 per cent
and maintaining of nuisance, 256 per
cent.
Where crimes. such as liquor
crimes. We're not in existence in 1910.
the official percentages of increases
in arrests. as calculated by the metro
upon comparison with the year in
which the law went into effect, and
are as follows:
illegal possession, 100 per cent;
manufacture of liquor, 2e3 per cent:
selling. 1919 per cent; transporting.
4,504 per cent; possession of property.
designed for the manufacture Of
laws governing the manufacture and
sale of matted liquor. 6 per cent;
in public places, 81 per cent: operat-
ing a vehicle while under the inf1u-
ence of liquor. $50 per cent
Decrease in Arrests Noted.
From 1910 to 1928, the following
percentages Of decrease in arrests for
crime have taken place:
Embezzlement, 20 per cent; simple
assault. II per cent; diSorderly con-
duct, 50 per cent; petty larceny, 80
per cent: indecent exposure. 81 per
dren. SO per cent: incorrigibility: 56
per cent, and INDECENT or dependent
children. 46 per cent.
But little encouragement can be
taken from a decrease Of % per cent
in embeZzlement and 80 per cent i'll
petty larceny. when there are very
much larger percentages of increase
in robbery, househreaking, grand
larceny, forgery and false pretense,
or from a decrease of II per cent in
simple assault, with much larger per-
centages of increase in murder, man
slaughter, assault with dangerous
weapon and assault with intent to
kill.
THE decrease of S5 per cent in dis
1923 is nearly entirely accounted for
by the fact that previous to 1913
Eases of drunkenness were often
charged to disorderly conduct
THE decrease in arrests for nom
support of wife and children. for in
corrigibility and on account of indig-
ent or dependent children, between
1910 and 1923, is all accounted for by
30 II ofS,;- tn htnI, InlI n
that the police department was with
out authority in these cases.
More Murderous Than London.
THE District Of Columbia is 1000
per cent more murderous than the
city. ofLondon. According to the latest
that year there occurred in London,
with it's population of 100000
twenty-eight murders, and there oc-
CURED in the District Of Columbia.
with it's population of less than 500,-
0o0. thirty-eight murders.
The District of Columbia is 800
per cent more drunken than the city
OF Paris. According to statistics, in
population of 100000, only $4,000
arrests for drunkenness, and there
were in the District of Columbia,
with its population of less than 50O,-
900, over 5000 arrests for drunken
ness.
Many causes may be assigned for
these amazing and potentious phe-
nomena of American social decline.
Among the formost should be plac-
I'd the addiction of certain sects of
the Christian Church from their
spiritual direction and leadership, and
their assumption Of political and leg
islative domination. This is particu-
larly evidenced in the District of Co
lumbia by the erection of expensive
buildings around the Capitol for the
avowed purpose of influencing legis-
lative action, and by the maintenance
of professional legislative agents AS
respects for the church and it's teach
InSs decline, so must it's authority
over the hearts and consciences of
men diminish.
Loss of Respect for Congress.
Another potent reason is a loss
OF confidence in and respect for pres
ent Congresses and. therefore for
laws passed by them-ConRresses
which ruthlessly destroy the rights
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