Evening star., 1935-04-07
BY WILBUR LA ROE, JR.,

"lLDOn LIN AkoGs SAsst
Chairman. Committee. on Civic Affairs.
Washington Federation Of Churches.
IN STUDYING crime there is a
tendency to deal with its manifeS-
tatinns and with the means Of
4 punishment rather than with the
fundamental causes underlying it..
It is more thrilling to pursue Dill
hger or Floyd than to analyze the
social, economic and psychopathic
factors which convert human beings
into public enemies.
Congress, through one of its COM
mittees, is now investigating crime
conditions in the District of Columbia,
but as yet 1t has made but little study
of the causes of crime or of the extent
to which Congress itself is responsible
for the conditions which exist.
We start with the obvious PROPOSE
ton that the people of the District
of Columbia are not permitted TO
make their own criminal laws, provide
their own police force, choose their
own district attorney, or elect their
own Commissioners. They are ruled
by strangers, by persons whose chief
interest lies many miles away. The
people are taxed, but have no repre-
sentation. They can speak, but their
voice is not heard. For this condition
Congress is largely responsible. 1t
has always lodged the issue, and is
continuing to dodge it.
The gambling laws in the District
of Columbia are disgracefully made
quate. The proprietor of numbers
racket can provide himself with 10000
numbers racket slips, hand thousand
of them to each of 10 assistants, send
all 10 out to sell them to the people
of the District and even to Govern
ment employees, all 10 can be caught
with their pockets bulging with these
tickets. but they must be released be-
cause under our gambling laws they
have done nothing wrong In the face
of such a condition the police, who
are so bitterly criticized, are prac-
tically helpless. The condition is one
for which Congress alone is re-
sponsible.
Property Owner Immune.
II I own building in the business
center of Washington, and lease it
at high rental to a gang of gamblers.
with full knowledge that 1t is to be
SO used. and it is so used. and
derive profit from the high rentals,
I have done no wrong solely because
of the inadequacy of our laws. For
this condition Congress is RESPONSE
BILE.
For two years legislation for the
Tightening of our gambling laws has
been pending before Congress. but the
committee before which it is pending
has shown little interest in it and
at least two members of that COM
mittee have declared themselves in
favor of legalized gambling The
subcommittee has resisted every at
tempt to expedite the legislation and
gambling continues to flourish. Three
recent murders. including the Wilson
murder, were the direct result of
gambling.
Our police force is inadequate due
to the failure of Congress to appro-
pirate sufficient funds. The build
ings used for police headquarters
and for police courts are antiquated.
gloomy, disreputable. The building
in which the efficient Woman's ,Bu-
reau is housed is an old, abandoned
precinct station in one of the worst
sections of Washington. There can
be no such thing as dignity or morale
in police department that is housed
in dingy, antiquated structures. Con-
gress alone is responsible for this
condition.
Our city is flooded with prostitutes,
plying their trade openly and brazen-
ly. The law provides no Jail sentence
for soliciting prostitution. In New
York City the maximum penalty is
one year; in Philadelphia, two years;
In Baltimore, one year and $500 fine.
In Washington the maximum fine is
S25, which the women pay and laugh
about it. These women thumb their
noses at the police. One woman
was arrested 80 times. Congress,
through the laxity of the law, has
in practical effect extended an in
vitation to women of bad reputation
to come here. with assurance that
they will not be Jailed or heavily
fined. For two years the major and
superintendent of police has recon-
mended Tightening of the law. but
a careless and Indifferent Congress
has paid no attention to his recon-
mendation.