The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-05-03
CRIME COMMISSIONERS WILL MEET

There is old story about Napoleon leading tel
thousand up the hill and then leading them down
again.
It's interesting and exciting story,
The adventures of the Montana Crime Commission
will probably parallel this experience of Napoleon TIL
results of the toll of the sapient commissioners will
doubt be of as much consequence.
The crime commission act passed by the Twenty-firs
assembly of those joke acts that legislature
will indulge in from time to time Not lawyer in tn
Senate voted for but all strenuousy opposed it. How
the cowboys and sheepherders together with fey
refomers mustered just enough votes to put the thin
across.
The Montana Free Press editor made the folIowin
sarcastic remarks about the crime commission and tn
assemblymen that passed the measure few days age
"The legislature of Montana is nothing if
not original. During its latest session it Gre
ated crime commission to study crime, GRIM
inal law, the prosecution of criminals and kin
dred subjects, and to report to the next legis-
lature recommendations for supplemental and
amendatory criminal statutes to make the sup
preston of crime in the Treasure state more
effective.
"The governor lately created the commits
sion by appointing its five MEMBERS and pre-
sumably they will set about their duties short
~ From the meager treasury of the state
the Legislature appropriated $4,000 to meet the
expenses. of the commission.
Since the libraries of the country are filled
with the reports OF state and national crime
commissions embaming exhaustive data re-
spectmg the subject under investigation gath
cred IN other individual states and in the ma
ton, the commission will be at the outset sup
pned with material for general conclusions
respecting crime, criminal law, prosecution of
criminals and all kindred features
"All that is left for original investigation
re the particular phenomena which NAV ex-
lst in the field of Montana and are unknown
elsewhere, if any. State prison statistics and
data from the board of pardons should suppv
m1ormatlon relative to the number of crimes
conlInltted over any period of years since the
state was organized, and actual and average
Terms served for the by all offenders
AN analysis OF these facts should provide a
oasis Tor the conclusions of the commission
respecting punshments inflicted
Comparison with statistics from other
states and the state of criminal affairs in the
zane togetner with conclusions formed by
.ner temporary and permanent crime commits
sIohS, and recommendations thew offered for
improvements, should enable the Montana
ooard TO formulate and present to the next
pouy OF learned and sapient lawmakers of the
SIaUe recommendations on the subject tba4
snould be the last word in criminologv and fit
tn ne local situation with mathematical precision.
Iii lii wnicn some wise legislator probably
AZ li Kick hoies IN the recommendations and
Cne whole matter go into the discardn
We feel that the Free Press is mavbe fallinc n
tne popular pastme of periodicals of lannoon;no 1a
iaCures-an attitude that is not the least hit or;
tnougn our contempt for the crime commission i; 49,
3Dy just as great as that of the Free Press E1;to
maybe the crime commission can provide q form,
90 useIul and effective as the famous REGIME fo, 4
ing tne Dlrd-h it can the money viii NOT hove -
entirely thrown away. NC