Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-19
70 STATES BATTLE
TO CHECK CRIME
Measures Adopted Tend To-
ward Increased Penalties,
Following New York Plan.

: BY. the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, June 1S.-Measure:
designed to check crime have beer
passed by 10 State Legislatures thus
far in 1927, a survey revealed.
Thirteen other States adopted meas
ures, such as those altering the pane
codes TO make former misdemeanOrs
felonies. which were considered gen
eral anticrime legislation, but not spe
cific checks on crime.
The measures adopted in the 19
States generally tended toward an in.
crease of sentence, with a Tightening
of the legal net about the habitual
criminal, the gangster, gunman and
hold-up man.
A significant feature of the anti
crime legislation was the tendency to
follow New York's pattern in curbing
the activities of habitual criminals and
the operations of bands of organized
criminals. A number of States en-
acted laws comparable to New York S
Baumes act, a piece of anti-crime legts-
lation passed in 1926. 1t provides a
mandatory life sentence for fourth Of
tenders and generally tightens up the
criminal code.
Cover Wide Range.
The measures enacted in the IS
States range from Montanas banning
of the chewing of mescal nuts by
Mexican laborers. a practice thought
bv some to be necessary to certain
religious rites, to Oregon's new meas
ure making it unlawful to skin dead
stock without the owners consent.
The last measure is a check on cattle
rustling. Oregon was also one of
the 10 States adopting legislation to
check crime.
A number of Legislatures discussed
the carrying and use of firearms.
Many States had already provided
themselves with checks against this
practice. and several followed suit in
1927. Measures providing for criminal
Identification were passed by several
Legislatures.
The most drastic action toward
curbing crime was taken in California,
South Dakota, North Dakota. Iowa
and New York.
New York'S Legislature passed II
of Al anti-crime bills, submitted by the
Raumes Crime Commission, headed by
Senator Caleb .. Baumes. author of
the Baumes act. Those failing pas
sage were, considered the most i'm
portant by the Baumes Commission.
Most of the IL laws enacted are
virtually amendments to the penal
laws ana COQe OF criminal PROCEDURE
One provides that in all cases where
appeal may be taken by the defendant,
the prosecution also may appeal.
Iowa Takes Action.
Iowa's Legislature passed score of
bills designed to make more thorny the
path tread by the feet of criminals.
Most of the measures vest greater
authority in peace officers and in
crease the functional capacity of
prosecutors. The machine gun and
automatic rife were outlawed, Grim
inal identification measure was adopted
and there was general Tightening of
laws regarding automobile thefts and
jury commissions.
An habitual criminal law. pat
termed after New forks Baumes act,
was the outstanding anti-crime meas
ure in South Dakota. The measure
deviates from it's pattern, however, in
that it makes discretionary instead of
mandatory the imposition of life SEN
tence on fourth offenders. A bill per-
hitting the prosecution to comment
on a defendants failure to testify also
was passed.
North Dakota added nine bills to