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

crime ......... &3, $50 ooV,oVV
Salary for Crooks Cheaper.
In an estimate made by Edward n:
Smith for the Detroit Chamber or
Commerce. with slightly different
Justification. crime loot is set at
| So, 500, OO0. 900 Burdette G. Lewis.
Commissioner of Public Safety OF New
Jersey, arrives al the same conclusion
Charles r. Holden. president OF the
Chicago Crime Commission. made TINS
remarkable statement regarding the
activities of the underworld In that
city: -.
CHICAGO could afford to pay Its
90. 900 crooks not less than 100000
wear each to retire from business or
go elsewhere. IF we could do that. the
expenditure of S.. 900 900 would be no
I greater than the cost of crime to Chi
ca go under present conditions.
The late Seymour l.. Cromwell. Tor
mer president OF the New YORK STOCK
Exchange. estimated the loss through
stock frauds at 81 900. 900. 900. The
ST. Louis Credit Mems Association
calculated the loss due to the circuia-
ton Of bad checks alone at about
500 900 900.
Concerning the cost of protecting
society against crime and Furnishing
rogues of all ella sses, some very llu-
minating information is obtalnaoie
from Various official and unoff1clal
sources.
Billions for Protection.
OF the $500. 100000 cost of crime.
exclusive of property loss, anout
s.. $50 .o0O. 900 is expended for various
forms of protection. insurance, cfine
apprehension and punishment. Prose,
cutting agencies. courts. prisons ana
the maintena nee Of private ponce or
carnations are included IN TINS total.
The most reliable figures accepteu
for comparative purposes are oniy
nar,ially complete. Most authorities
90 back to the year 1918 when recent
statistics are admittedly unsatls1ac'
tory. Estimates based on the mate
rial relating to that period. however
indicate the cost of crime through
nronertv loss. protection and economic
waste was less than $4,000 900, 900.
If the figures are correct. the cost
of crime i'm the United states mas III
creased 100 per cent in Is years.
The cost Of crime to the peopie ~
New York State is reasonably est
mated 10 be in excess Of 10 per cent
Of the Nations crime bill. This means
a cost Of about $S5 per capita to the
- 900 900 inhabitants of New YORK.
Stock frauds involving many millions
of dollars. robberies that run up INTO
tho hundreds of thousands. the opera
lions of bootleggers. hijackers and
divers forms Of thefts involving
smaller amounts are in the New YORK
crime bill.
Chief Loss i'm Big Cities.
The crime bills of New York. Chi
cago and other large centers, to whlch
the professional generally devotes his
activities, are naturally higher imam
those of other sections OF the country
in proportion to population.
One reason for the high cost OF
crime in all sections of the country is
shown by the figures collected by in
suranee, bonding and casualty COM
panies.
The Metropolitan Life Insurance
COMPANY. for example. paid out $43l.-
0on in homicide claims in 1920. while
in 1923 II paid out $723.7Ss. The 1925
figures are proportionately higher
In 1920 the base rate for residence
burglary insurance in New York City
was $40 per 81 900. Last year 1t was
SIS per 1000. In 1920 the Chicago
rate was $22; last year it was $27.5o.
Boston paid $l21o last year. as
against $l1 Ave years ago; San Fran
cisco S22. as against $40, and Phlla'
dolnhfA. $lS.lD, as against fAo'oU-
The same rate OF increase Is re,
yealed by figures relating to rural AND
agricultural sections OF New York
State The rate was lifted from 81
in 1920 to S12.10 last year for the agrl-
cultural counties. Rates covering
bank robberies and hold-ups in Chi
cago jumped from 81 to IS per $1,000
in Ave years. Q
Other items covered in the cost 0,
crime are equally significant. There
are 1852 Federal and State penitenti-
aries and large jails scattered through
out the country. There are, in add
ton, 1893 reformatories. city jails.
lockups. detention bureaus and other
institutions housing the criminal popu-
lation of the country.
Police Costs Huge.
On the average. there are every day
in the Federal and State penitenti-
aries between $4,000 and 100000 crimi-
nails, 81 per cent OF whom are males.
In the smaller institutions. where
local offenders are held, there are
about 200 600.
The total OF the prison and police
budgets of the Federal. State and local
governments last year was around