Evening star., 1928-04-04
CRIME BILL URGED
BY BUSINESS MEN
Measure Aimed at "Fences"
win Not Be Hurt by Budget
Report, Dyer Says.

DNNkAtN hktC AdN6 I1I&l bAlC kfeAA NAAANAAN
OF Justice has reported adversely TO the
House commerce committee on the La
Cuardia bill designed to prohibit the
sending and receipt OF stolen property
through interstate and foreign COM
raerce. on the Sround that the director
Of the Bureau Of the Budget has re-
ported that it would incur expense con-
frarv to the Coolidge administration
economy program, Acting Cnarinan
Over of the House judiciary committee
assured proponents Of the measure to-
0av at the hearing that such opinion
wa0,,Id not influence the committee.
BANKERS of the bill completed preSen-
fation Of their testimony today with
7 Weston Allen. former attorney gen.
ersl Of Massachusetts,, representing the
National Crime Commission, summing
VI the argument.
This bill is an extension or the prlnci-
ple adopted by Congress in the automo.
hUe theft act 10 a larger field, Alien told
fhs cor,rlittee. He quoted statistics
from Attorney General Sargent showing
fhe results Of the operation of the stolen
y.,otor vehicles act. indicating there was
a need for that legislation, The reia-
five exoense for enforcement OF this
rroposed act. he said, will be less than
that for stolen automobiles.
Would Hamper Thieves
Under this law" he explained, you
will be operating not where an auto-
mobile is the value at stake, hut 1or-
tune in the goods IN the hands OF the
fences. believe the deterrent factor
Of this bill is an important element IN
the case" A..
Alien told the committee that the
receiver Of stolen sooos makes tne crlnle
profitable by operating at WnoleS1e,
and If YOU make il unprohtaole you
vii largely stop the thief who operates
by retail" .-
Answer Acting Chairman Dyer's query
ss IN the need for this legislation, ana
as Ia whether this is the proper type,
Allen insisted that there IS practical
need for his legislation. and 1t IS
condition which confronts this country
II the suppression Of crime.
"To6ay the man that handles the
stolen goods is tie key TO the situa-
tion." the former Bay State attorney
general said. If you can take away
the incentive to sell stolen goods, you
go a long way in solving the proolem.
Justin Miller. dean Of the law school
of the University OF Southern California,
representing the National Crime Com
mission made an argument before the
committee on the technical aspects OF
the law contained in section OF the
uz6dHGIS, hI1lGA AAG2AHNA9 VA S~AS
committee felt would throw the bur-
den of proof on a defendant. He polled
members of the section on criminal
Law OF the American Bar Association. Of
which section he is chairman. show
ing by letters from these outstanding
lawyers that they are unanimously IN
favor Of the principle embodied in the
bin
FavorS Increase in Penalties.
From his experience as a prosecutor
II California. Mr.. Miller told the COM
nlittee that the police in the rural Sec
tons of the country are not organized
20 cope with the crimes this bill seeks
70 combat, pointing to the difficulty in
obtaining evidence beyond their juris-
eiction and Of the lack Of funds avail
able for this work. He agreed with the
committee that the bills penalty which
calls for fine Of not more than 1000.
or by Imprisonment for not more than
. years, or both, might well be increased.
James n. Noyes, secretary of the
jewelers. Security Alliance, brought
his Endorsement Of the measure TO the
committee, and conservatively esti-
mated that the loss during the last
five years in the jewelry trade alone
In stolen goods was s2.500,000. He
SAID that his organization was rea-
sonably successful in spprehending and
convicting the criminals. but I'VE are
not reasonably successful in recover
Ing the goods"
Mr.. Eoyes said he thought this bill
would aid in the recovery OF stolen
property. and cited the present diff
eulties Of getting witnesses TO 20 from
one State 10 another.
S. c. Meade, representing the Mer-
chants Association Of New York, said
hts group was the active Chamber OF
Commerce Of the City of New York
and represents $500 business units,
who commend the measure in principle.
He insisted that s1cn a measure
IL needed for the protection Of busi-
i1eSs. and that there has been a very
Seeded increase In the disposal Of
goods through fences"
The crucially important part In the
Illegal transaction is the fence" Mr..
Meade said. for IL the thief knows IL
vii be difficult for his TO dispose Of the
stolen goods il viii deter him. Fences
are not located in the same State in
which the crime Is committed and 70
better protect business the whole gamut
cf the crime should be dealt With in the
same jurisdiction. 1t is our earnest
hope that the committee will report
bill with strength enough TO accomplish
the purpose for which IL is drawn, 70
make Il more difncult for a thief TO
transport the goods and TO make Il
more difficult for the fence 70 dispose Of
stolen goods"
& Representative La GuaYdsa Of New
York, author Of the measure, asked Mr..
Meade II he had ever heard Of any
.wnM