Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-21

How the present staggering crime cost in
money csn bs cue j. rernsad NV
contained in this. the final. article.
BY LOUIS SEIBOLD.
The national crime bill now
amounts to about $10,000,0 100000 per
year, or $50 per capita.
The toll in human life last year
was 10000. 1t has been shown that
the present system of dealing with
burglarous and predatory criminals
is wholly inadequate to prevent the
astounding and steady increase in
criminal activities.
Incidental to this investigation of
criminal conditions. the writer OBJ
tanned from various authoritative and
responsible sources many reasonable
and interesting suggestions for cor
recting present criminal conditions.
Many Suggestions Made.
Those that seem to merit the atten-
ton of national and State legislative
bodies and executive officials of va
rious Government agencies dealing
with criminal matters are az follows:
CD Appointment by the President
or Congress of a Federal commission
TO investigate criminal conditions
"
pose basic reforms to choke up the
loopholes in existing criminal laws.
CD Immediate passage by Congress
of laws to coordinate the various
criminal agencies Of the Government
and provide foundations for cooper
alton between the various States.
90 Enactment by Congress and
State legislatures of more drastic
measures to increase penalties for
professional criminals, the English
system to be used as a model.
Dry Law Repeal Urged
az Repeal of the eighteenth amend
ment or the modification of the Vol
stead act to relieve the courts, break
up one of the most highly organized
divisions Of the criminal army and re-
establish in the public mind proper
respect for law and authority.
90 Passage of Federal and State
laws designed to put an end to the
tendency Of judicial offices to respond
TO political influence.
90 Adoption of uniform standards
in imposing sentences on professional
criminals, regardless of personal or
political influence.
CD Intelligent and deliberate revis-
ion of the criminal codes of the Fed
eral and State governments to sim
plify and speed up procedure in bring
ing murderous and predatory Grim
inals to punishment.
Central Bureaus Favored.
(S) Establishment of centralized and
efficient bureaus Of criminal records
to replace the haphaZard and I'M
scientific methods now prevailing in
various States, and the creation Of a
central Federal bureau to which all
criminal records should be sent to be
available for the use of police and
prosecuting officials throughout the
country.
90 Immediate tightening up of the
code of ethics applying to members
of the legal profession to deprive the
professional criminal of one of his
greatest allies, the tricky criminal
lawyer.
00) Passage by Congress and State
Legislatures Of an anti-plstol law,
which in New York has become
Joke, partly due to the lobby influence
exerted by manufacturers of firearms.
1D Improvement in individual
standards in the selection of maglS-
trates and other officers exercising Su.
peryision over crimes of violence ana
the requirements of fitness rather than
political pull.
More Police Needed.
02) Increase in the personnel OF
police and protective units, greater
police efficiency and the establishment
Of private protective organizations,
such as that which the bankers OF the
country are now employing with sue
cess.
Q3) Restriction of bail privileges to
a central agency and the abandon
ment Of the practice of permitting
judges Of petty courts and police
officials to allow bail.
14) Closer scrutiny of corporations
and individuals who now realize fat
profits for underwriting the future &C
tivities of professional criminals.
n5) Closing of gaps in existing legal
machinery which now enable the
nolice. prosecuting officials and
judicial agencies to dodge response
hility for loopholes through which the
crook with financial or political re-
sources escapes.
Favor Higher Salaries.
O6) Abandonment of the short afii-
davit'' system of recording arrests, by
which the police officer invites the
criminal or his tricky lawyer to buy
himself out of trouble.
% Serious consideration to the
astounding declaration of Chief Justice
William Howard Taft that the "ad-
ministration of the criminal laws of
the country is disgrace to ctviliza-
ton
QH Adoption Of the continental sys-
tenn of limiting the testimony of ar
resting police officials to the identifi-
cation of the criminal.
90 Increase in the salaries of such
officials as are underpaid to remove
them from temptations of brides held
out by violators of the laws.
(20l Limitation Of privileges now
enjoyed by criminals in putting off
trials through the employment Of de-
vices that are purely technical and
have no actual relation to the merits
of the case.
Collection of Bail Forfeits.
! (o) Collection of all bail forfeits
| promptly.
| (22l Increases in the forces of the
| district attorneys office where needed.