New Britain herald., 1929-06-10
SURVEY 0F.CRlME
 TACKLED BY STATE
PsuBylIiajl Gfolp's Findings ProesQe Ihose of HooId Body

Washington. June 10 N = The nearest approach to the work about to be tackled by President Hoover'a law enforcement commission ap- psars to have been made by the commission appointed by the Penn syIyauia legislature to study the laws, procedure and other factora relating to crime and criminals in . state of about 10,000,O00 inhabi- tants.
 How closely the methods and find- lngs of the Hoover commission will parallel those of the Pennsylvania crime commission cannot be fore cast, but the size of Pennsylvania end tho fact that it has cities and towns of all sizes as well as nearly all types of law enforcement prob lems makes . summary of what the minor body discovered and accom- plished of national interest.
 Eight prominent citizens were members of the Pennsylvania com mission. lts chairman was Charles Edwin Fox, . former Philadelphia district attorney and veteran penol- cgist and social worker. Attorney General Thomas J. Baldridge was chairman ex-officio. The group was instructed in 1927 to study all mat ters which had relation. directly and indirectly to the crime situation. Its term of office is about to expire.
 Questioned All Judges
 The commission started out in a big way. It asked Chief Justice Von Moschzisker to call together all the judges in Pennsylvania who had any contact at all with the adminis- tration of criminal law. The chief justice did his stuff and in April. 1898. there assembled in Philadel- phia seven supreme court justices. live members of the superior court, Al judges of the common pleas court, 10 members of the Phila- delphia municipal bench, two coun- ty judges and few others. Thi. judicial conference is to be a con- tinuing body. subject to the call of the chief justice.
 The judges considered only the trial and sentencing of accused per sons. With virtual unanimity, they passed nine resolutions as follows:
 That the law forbidding adverse comment by court or counsel on a defendants failure to testify in his own defense be repealed.
 That evidence indicating that a defendant is a professional crimi- nal be admissible in evidence in the discretion of the trial judge.
 That the trial court be given the right to separate or consolidate trials of defendants jointly indict- ed dor capital offenses.
 That the examination of prospec- tive jurors, be conducted exclusive ly by the trial judge, subject to the right of counsel to suggest addition al questions.
 That the time for making appeals weeks and that in all but capital cases and cases involving constitu- tional issues appeals should be per- mitted only after allowance thereof by . judge of the appellate court where the appeal lies.
 That the courts be given more latitude in adopting and enforcing such rules as would expedite and and standardize trial and punish- ment and that a uniform rule be established of four days after the trial in which motions for a new trial and in arrest of Judgment must be filed.
 That trial of criminal cases not Involving higher felonies be per- mitted by a judge without jury, If the accused voluntarily consents.
 That system of graduated pen- alties dependent upon the number of former convictions be incorporat- cd in the penal system.
 That the state law forbidding the maximum sentence be repealed.
 EndOrccd by Commission
 These proposals, all calling for legislation, would immensely in- crease the power of the courts. but the crime commission endorsed them in large part. It explained in its report to the legislature early this year, that permitted comment on the defendants failure to take the stand, was the custom in many states that all facts about criminals ought to be known to judge and jury fin the past interests of society. that defendants equally guilty of the same crime were often treated diff ferently when tried by separate jur- ies, that the federal judicial coun- Gil headed by Chief Justice Taft had recommended questioning of tales men by judges conducting federal Jury tria $. that . cardinal defect in administration of criminal justice is the possibility of incessant delays between original trial and final dis position of the case and that trial 'sithout jury immensely speeds up administration of criminal law.
 The state District Attorneys' asso- ciation, meeting later. generally con- cured with the proposals of the judges and added recommendations for higher penalties for involuntary