Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-05-23

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"The. administration Of criminal
justice is to large extent broken
down in the large cities of this
country. was the declaration of DR.
Felix Frankfurter. prominent mem
Der of the faculty Of Harvard law
school, in an address Friday night at
the annual meeting of All Souls
Chapter of the Laymen's League,
which was held at All Souls Unfair
ian church. DR.. Frankfurter stated
that he hoped to lay the problem
before the members of the league. so
that they might see the necessity for
change, but that he was unable to
give. them either an explanation of
the underlying reasons for. this prob
lem or a solution oft.
The officers elected for the ensu
ing year were; President, Judge
Warren c. Philbrook; vice president,
Samuel Holway; secretary, .Erskine
p. Noyes; treasurer, Arno Bittues;
executive committee consisting of the
above officers, Hon. Norman Bassett
Emery o. Beane and DR.. Richard
Stubbs. supper committee, Robert
TRUE, Harry Patten,. William Web
ster, Guy c. Longfellow4 and John
F. Wadteigh; music committed, Leo
Andrews and two others to be chos-
en- by him; membership committee,
Erski1e p. Noyes, Robert Partridge,
Merton G. L. Bailey. ..
,Prof.s Frankfurter stated in open
ing, fis talk that one of the great
deftfencies in the administration of.
criminal justice is the lack of re-
liable statistics with regard to the
prevalence of crime. But the fig.
ures which can be procured prove
that the crime ratio in the United
States is far greater than that of
any other English speaking .natioti:l
This the speaker believed to be due
to several different causes, SO that
one who declares it to be due to some
single cause is not familiar with the
circumstances. ~
That heavy penalties act as a
crime deterrent has been the declar-
alton of many but the speaker point
ed out that if this We've so Maine
should have suffered a great increase
in murders when capital punishment
was abolished. He quoted from
John Bunyon who said when viewing.
criminal upon his way to the
scaffold. ''There but for the grace of
God goes John Bunyon," declaring
that this was most profound OBJ
problem of criminals is the prob
lem of each and every man as the
most serious crime, murder and
perhaps others are not premediated
and the consequences reviewed be-
fore the crime is committed.
He found much fault with the
criminal judicial system of the coun-
try as whole, declaring that it was
conducted mainly upon the same
lines as it was so and more years
ago. 1t has not been reorganized to
meet the changing Social, political
and economic situations of the pres
ent day which have at the same time
resulted in a great increase in the
number of cases as well as a con-
slant broadening in the scope of the
law.
The speaker stated that there
must be q reorganization of the
criminal judicial SYSTEM there must
be a concerted and intelligent in
terest on the. part oof the public in
the court, its officers and the admin
istration of Justice and that there
must be a. greater insight into the
reasons for the development of
criminal instincts in the young and
consequent effort to remedy these
conditions.
This most interesting talk was
followed by a short period during
which the members of his audience
asked the speaker. questions which
had been brought to their minds by
the address. here were several law
yers present at this meeting and
during the question period active re-
tired Justice Fred Emery Beane ex-
planned in a clear concise manner
the local application of the questions
which had been brought up by the
speaker.
A very delicious banquet was serv-
ed to the members of All Souls
chapter at 6.15. After the address
by Prof. Frankfurter, the reports
of the secretary and treasurer Tor
the past year were read and accept
ed and the election of officers was
held 1t was voted that the meetings
in the fall should begin with the
October meeting, which is to be held
at the call of the secretary.