Has Murder in America Become Simply a Misdemeanor?

A great jtuilt aaid to the publirher of tbir journal not long cince: ttWhy do you not publieh in every ircue of your pap€f,, why do you not dircurs in crery public 'all- you make, the horrible level to which the United Statee har fallen with regard to thc taking of human life, and the lenient treatncot of murdererr?"

It IS e subject that is in fact more important than any other tte American people facer-probably more eerioua than thia nation has ever faced. We will try and keep the rubject to the fore often in there columnr bereafter. Why preach Building a Better America if it is to be overrun with murder?

In London lart year ttere rvcre 8 murderr.

In all of England and Waler there were 5O.

Tcxar fairly ewarmed with takerr of human life.

The City of Loc Angelee had 17O murderc.

Other citiee and etatee in about the reme proportion"

A statistically inclined Chicago Jurict ertimater that there are walking the rtreetr of America today, free rnen, and weiting for their next victim, not le* ther l3srfirc murdererr, of whom at least lfi)rmO rhould have beerl hung, and would have been, had they committed tiheir crimes elrewhere than in thir counfry.

On the ltrects, in the trainr, the r$eet can, the theafrcs, the men and women end fildren of 'hir

Frame Buildings Have Fewer Fires

In forty-five cities of the United States having populations in excess of 20,000 some seventy-five per cent of the buildings are of frame construction, yet there were fewer fires last year in such structures than in those of the other types, according to Robert Beck, President of the Longacre Engineering & Construction Company, which has just completed a country-wide survey of existing conditions.

Commenting upon the report, Mr. B'eck says: "'Washington, Boston, Fall River, Oklahoma City, Berkeley (California), Topeka, Wilkes-Barre, Salt Lake City, and Milwaukee are among' the cities surveyed where th.ere were 851,984 frame buildings out of a total of 1,128,002 of. all kinds.

"It was found that although this large number compris- ing seventy-five per cent of the aggregate were structures of frame construction, only in I.4/o did fires occur, whereas in 6.1/A of the buildings of brick, cement and other less combustible materials blazes originated and caused varying damage. Of the combined structures, 2.6/o were visited by fire.

"While in most cities the number of frame buildings far exceeds the census of the other types, the opposite condi tion prevails in Washington, Salt Lake, and York, Pa. In the first named city, there are 115,932 buildings of brick, land rub elbowr dailv with men and rvomen whoce handr are red with the blood and whore roulr are black with ttre crime of murder.

Leigh H. Irvine, in hir Eemendour boolr, "The Follier of the Cortrtrr" in which he sumr up tAe murder rituation in thir countr5r and fundarnentel cauer, declrrer that ttere has never before been ruch a eituation ar this in att the hirtory of tte wodd, and ttat the manhood of America ir unaroured, while the murderer has us by the throet.

Berliq in broken-down and Communirt-ridden GermanS had 32 murderr last year. New Yor\ in our prized and civilized America, had 333.

A rituation unpardleled in the hirtory of mankind €sbts in this country; rcotre3 of men and worn€n are brutally mudered eveqr day and the mur. derer ir given bail ro that he may intirnidate witnerEer, prepare hir care, etc., and then goee free.

In Englsnd a murderer getr no bail and ir geocrally tried and hangcd in three weekr. If he chirnr insanity the court appointc a court pbyrician to pes on hir ranity, and trhat examination ir brief end finet stone, etc., for example, and only 30,985 of frame, while in the Utah capitol the figures ar'e respectively 33,050 and 13,350.

In Erytard they are cogagcd in defendins rcciety againd the nurdercr.

In the United Statec the murdered p€rlon ir gone, and the chid effort terema to be to rafeguard thc precioue killer.

Are we really civilized?

"This analysis is, as far as we know, the first of its kind and contains several surprises. ft seems to indicate for one thing, that, in spite of popular opinion to the contrary, housewives and others occupying dwellings, (which are naturally in the majority among the frame buildings) are more careful in handling fire hazards than are the workers and tenants of factories and other business properties.

"On the other hand, a contributing factor in swelling the non-frame figures may be the 'set' fires involving business enterprises suffering from unsatisfactory trade conditions. One point that stands out clearly is the tremendous dependence upon wood for structural purposes, past and present, despite the trend toward reinforced concrete, brick, stone and other more lasting materials."

DUDFIELD BACK \^/ITH BANNING

John R. Dudfield, for years manager of the lumber department of the Banning Company at San Pedro, then for some time with Sudden & Christenson, at Los Angeles, has just announced his resignation from the latter position to resume his former position with Banning.