Evening star., 1933-10-13
COPELAND CITES
HUGE CRIME COSTS
Tells Conference Figure
Reaches s12,e33, 900, 900
Yearly in America.

Repeal is likely to cause bootleggers
to turn to kidnapping and other easy
money" rackets, Senator Copeland de-
clared at this mornings session OF the
National Anti Crime Conference.
Addressing the nearly 400 delegates
to the meeting, which is being held at
the Shoreham Hotel, the New York
Senator, who is chairman OF the Sen
ate committee investigating racketeer-
ing, asserted;
las view it., we are facing critical
problem. With the repeal Of prohlbl-
ton, there will be turned loose on So
ciety a multitude Of underworld char-
acters who are now trafficking in liquor.
In their anxiety to acquire money in
the same easy fashion. they are likely
to resort to kidnapping and to various
forms of racketeering.
Pointing out that racketeerlng, IN It's
cruder forms, existed as far back as the
Middle Ages, Senator Copeland said
modern society is paying tribute as
never before"
1T will continue to pay" he went
on. until there is such an arousement
of public sentiment as to cause our
people to rise in their might to crush
and end the whole damnable business.
Challenge to Government.
"As I view it, the present situation
is challenge to organized government
We must choose between bowling the
knee to the predatory criminal and
finding some effective means of dealing
with the rats of the underworld. The
American people must rise in its might
and shake off the shackles of criminal
control, or else the increasing boldness
and grasp of power will make the GRIM
inaI supreme in his authority.
After detailing the annual "cost OF
crime" which, he declared, reaches the
staggering amount of s12,933 900, 900"
a year in the United States, the speaker
declared:
Crime costs six times as much as
education. 1t represents far more than
the value of our exports. 1t is 10
times as great as the combined cost
of maintaining the Army and the Navy.
1t is four times as much as the mainte-
nance of the Federal Government. 1t
represents sum sufficient to pay every
dollar of Federal, State and local taxa
ton. 1t represents an amount equal
to one-fourth of the annual national
income. In short, one dollar out of
every four we spend is our contribu-
ton to the cost of crime"
As curative measures, Senator Cope
land proposed universal and COM
pulsory" flngerprinting, increased Fed
eral jurisdiction in the so-called Lind
bergh kidnapping law and an increase
in the scope of the Dyer act, making
it unlawful to send or receive stolen
property through interstate and foreign
commerce. At present the law applies
only to movement of stolen automobiles
from one State to another.
Proposes New Law.
Upon completion Of his prepared
address, Senator Copeland spoke ex-
temporaneously, presenting proposal
that State attorneys general be given
legal right to swear in witnesses IN
important criminal cases before sub
jecting them to preliminary eXamine-
ton. Such a law, it was pointed out,
has been in effect in New York for
about two months, and is working sat-
isfactorily. Senator Copeland also an
swered queries by delegates regarding
the activities of the Senate committee
investigating racketeering and various
points in his speech.
In the absence of former Secretary
of War Hurley, chairman of the con-
ference, John Allen Dougherty, exec
utive vice chairman of the National
Council Of '76, presided. Hurley took
over the chair toward the close Of the
session, however, and introduced Capt
Richmond Hooson, of Merrimac fame,
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