Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-12
PROS AND CONS

VoSS NV
The National Association of
Credit Men announces that there
has been subscribed to it's protection
fund nearly $1,350,000. This fund is
looked to for aid in bringing COM
mercial criminals to their deserts.
The Metropolitan's Statistical Bull
letin states that last year in con-
tinental United States 10,100 homi-
cides occurred, nearly fourteen times
the rate in England and six times
the rate in Canada. Regarding the
report of homicides among the
Metropolitan's policy holders during
the years 1922 to 1924. Gil in all. of
which So were considered justifiable,
the Bulletin states that of the re-
manning 525 81 committed suicide
and 10 died before arraignment. OF
45S assailants 1873 per cent had not
been apprehended as late as year
after the crime.
OF the 374 cases actually appre-
hended 10S were released on the
out and eight were declared insane.
OF the 258 cases brought to trial e.
were acquitted, and nine, a year
later. were still pending. A verdict
OF guilty was found in 1877 out of
S74 cases. OF these 10 were
sentenced to prison; eight were
sentenced to death, seven being
executed while one is under appeal,
and nine were released.
In view of such conditions as these
little reinsurance from some
quarter would seem to be needed.
The Labor Bureau attempts this in
a statement to the effect that there
appears from the data available to
have been a reduction in Juvenile
delinquency rates in the past decade.
1t admits however that there are no
national statistics on this subject.
The Bureau goes. on to state:
Decreased juvenile delinquency
rates at the end of the period as
compared with the beginning found
in New York, Boston, Buffalo, Chi
cago, New Orleans. Providence,
Richmond, st. Louis and Washing
ton, d. c. The rate in Rochester
was stationary for the three years
for which statistics were secured.
1922, 1923, 1924. 1928. 1924 increased
rates were found in only Detroit,
Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Seat
tile.
Contrary to opinions which have
been expressed there seems to have
x.l-aI
of commitment to prisons, reforma-
tories, jails and warehouses;. On
the contrary only ga per cent of the
commitments in 1928 were of per-
sons between the ages of eighteen
and twenty years, as compared with
9.8 per cent in 1904 and with per-
centages of 11.9 and 12.1 based on
persons present in 1880 and 1890 re-
spectively. There has been no in
crease since 1904 in the percentages
Of persons between the ages of
twenty-one and twenty four years,
and the percentages for this age are
lower for recent years than for the
years 1880 and 1890. The same may
be said Of the age group twenty five
to thirty-four years. Persons be-
tween the ages of thirty-five and
forty-four are contributing a slight
ly larger percentage of the total
commitments at present as compar-
ed with earlier years"
The Public Ledger is a reputable
snd We would say rather conserva-
tive newspaper published in Phila-
delphia. which until within recent
years has been generally considered
fairly peaceable town.
Monday mornings edition of this
paper carries local headlines: Gun
man bound for court slain to avenge
gang. Riddled with bullets as he
stops to greet friends block from
the station house. Murderers use
shotguns and revolvers at close
range" The account following
shows that window of a business
place on the street was shattered by
some of the bullets; that the dying
man refused to reveal the names of
his assailants; that gang war is
on; that the murderers drove to the
scene of the shooting in a stolen
automobile; that the man whose car
was stolen reported the matter to the
police several days before but they
assumed he was not telling the
truth, 1t appears. Another headline
tells of threat to blow off the head
OF woman, who had said she would
vote against Ware for Senator. An
other headline on the same front
page tells of the wife of policeman
shooting him, of father while
drunk shoeting his son.
All in all there are many pros and
cons in the criminal situation. One
feature conspicuously lacking, al
though recent attempts to remedy
this have been made. are front page
features Of criminals swiftly ap-
pretended, quickly tried, properly
sentenced and left to serve their
time: Of gangs suppressed. Seem
ingly we need little publicity along
that line.