AMERICAN “MURDER RATE”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 16 May 1928, Page 9

AMERICAN “MURDER RATE”

ijNIRAORDLNAHY figures fro.. M SOUTH. NEW YORE, May 0. M-urder is not increasing in the United States, according to a report published, by the Prudential Insurance Company, bub has reached a statiunaij. condition at one of the highest points m American history. 4he average murder rate lot 1a.... year wag 10.4 per 100,000 qf the 0 1' the population, with the Southern cities well in the lead over the Northern towns. Memphis, Tennessee, had the extraordinary record of 69.3, Birmingham, Alabama, .03; Atlanta, Georgia, 43.4 • and Miami,' Florida, 40. New Yorlts .rate was as low as b".J. and even Chicago only reached 1b.3. Hie report calls attention ’to America's lamentable crime record compared with those of England, Canada. Italy, and Russia, gild complains that, vyhile the Government provides millions for the enforcement 1 qf . Prohibi I tion, the small siim required for the I collection of judicial statistics is not forthcoming. i 4be opinion is ■ expressed that the American police are not unintelligenl inefficient, as has been asserted, am. the blame, for the alarming crime record is ascribed to weakness of character and ease, of obtaining firearms Another cause qf crime, the report says, is to be found in ‘‘the changing character ol the American, people.” Every element of the nation is represented in the long list of murderers—youth and old age, men and women white and black, native and foreign, rich and poor.