Evening star., 1932-10-29
LAW ENFORCEMENT
WORK T|GHTENED
Economy Wave Has Ten
dency is Increase Efficiency
Rather Than Let-DoWn.

Rather Than let-D0Wn.
This is the seventh OF series OF
articles on the operation OF the
drdstically reduced budget In the
Government departments.
Economy is no respecter Of persons,
daring to invade the realm OF law en-
| forcement-to reach even into the
sacred domain of Federal judges.
One of the hardest hit Of the execu-
| tive branches of the Government. due
| to the Senates inequitably distributed
| cut of 10 per cent in departmental ap-
propriations, the Department Of Justice
| has slashed out vigorously, but care
| fully, in an effort to effect necessary
savings without curtailing Uncle Sam S
battle against crime.
HalloWed court traditions have fallen
ruthlessly in this campaign of frugality
Ancient offices have been abolished
antiquated procedure speeded up, elab-
crate legal forms and other documents
restricted.
The net result, more often than not
has been an increase IN efficiency, rather
than a let-down in law enforcement.
1 rCQCl al IuO5Co ulC 1CClAlS hCSAliy l21S
effect of the economy wave.
Deprived Of Court Crier.
| First of all, they were deprived sum-
marily of that old and honorable inSti-
tuition. the court crier. whose chief and
| illustrious duty it was to precede the
| Judge into the court room and announce
! his honor's coming with the familiar
"Oyez. Oyez" The criers functions
have been absorbed by bailiffs and other
| attaches.
Next, the Government took away the
| judges messengers. all Of whom were
placed on indefinite furlough. The mes
sengers were the factotums Of the
judges chambers, performing all man.
ner Of services, from meeting visitors tC
helping the judge into his gown.
On top Of everything else came a sc
per cent reduction in travelling expenses
for judges required to make circuit ol
courts within their jurisdiction. In the
past Federal judges had been allowed
maximum of $40 per day for expense.
while travelling on official business
and rare, indeed, was the case where
the maximum allowance was moi
claimed Now only IS per diem is grant.
ed. 1t is reported this measure is work.
ing considerable hardship on judges re.
quired to travel great deal.
Travel of secretaries to judges alst
has been drastically limited.
In or,ler to further reduce travel ex.
penses. the department has instructed
district attorneys to request appellate
| courts to so arrange their calendars a.
to enatle a series OF cases in ont
locality 70 be heard consecutively with
as little lost time between hearings a!
possible.
Printing Cut 21 Per Cent.
The department has administered /,
81 per cent cut in printing. Many pub
locations have been omitted this year
Short legal forms that heretofore wer
printed are being mimeographed at ;
marked saving in cost. Printing o
large numbers Of copies of court eel
endars for courtesy distribution" Il
lawyers and other interested partie
has been discontinued, making it neces
sary for lawyers to visit the court hous
in order to consult the court schedule
The economy ak has been wielde'
similarly in other branches of the De
partment Of Justice.
The Bureau of Investigation. the Blu
reau OF Prohibition and the Prison
Bureau have been affected mainly.
Three field offices of the Bureau O
Investigation have been abolished. The
were located at Boston, Mass: Butte
Mont, and Omaha, Nebr. Work Q
other field stations. This handicap ha
become more acute by reason Of enact
ment of the new Federal kidnapin
law. vastly adding to the investigativ
duties of the bureau, officials say.
In spite of this and other setback.
Director j. Edgar Hoover has succeede
in increasing the investigative eff
cheney Of his bureau, according to
chart recently made public. Althoug
the total number of special agents wa
reduced by half a dozen during tn
year. the average number of cases il
which convictions were secured was re
ported increased from 1871 to 1872 pc
agent.
This increase in efficiency is attri
buted largely to Inauguration Of a ne'
training program for investigators. Thl
program included extension Of the bu
reau's so-called Crime Detection Uni
versity" for schooling new agents an
establishment of a novel correspond
ence course in accountancy to bette
fit agents for bankruptcy and genera
financial Investigations.
Hoover's bureau also has saved none
through modification and extension c
the Henry system Of fingerprlnt class
fication, so as to facilitate f1ngerprir
searches. A fingerprint received fror
police department can be checke
against the bureaus 100000 prints !
36 hours instead of 48 hours as hereto
fore. Transfer of the Civil Servic
Commissions fingerprint work to tn
. Pl1reau of Investigation has eftecte
further savings.
Finally. the Bureau of Investigatio
has discontinued publication OF
monthly basis of its statistical bulletI
on crime in favor of a consolidate
quarterly report.
Food Costs Reduced.
The Prisons Bureau has made
number of changes under the econom
, program. Food costs at the Fedora
penitentiaries have been pared withou
affecting the quality or quantity of ra
, tions, it is reported. This has been ac
complished through expansion OF tn
prison farm system, under which tn
, penal institutions raise most OF the
own vegetables. Lower food prices ais
have contributed to shrinkage of tn
food bill.
While there have been reports of
reduction from $40 to IS in the gratuit
given discharged prisoners, the Prison
Bureau denies there has been an
change in the general policy governin
services rendered prisoners on their re
lease. Under regulations of the bu
reau the warden may give a release
inmate a sum mot to exceed Sl0," tc
gether with any clothing necessar,
and a railroad ticket to his home. I'll
exact amount of the cash gratuity
left to the discretion of the warden.
the prisoners home is some distane
, from the penitentiary, it is declare'
!, he usually is given the full $40. Othel
wise he may get less.
Telephone expenses Of the depart
: ment have been trimmed materially
: a result of an edict against privat
,, calls over official lines. Telephone OK