AMERICA’S CRIME WAVE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10319, 31 January 1927, Page 4

AMERICA’S CRIME WAVE

PROPOSAL TO RESTRICT USE OF FIREARMS. (Received Jan. 30, 5.5 p.m.; NEW YORK, Jan. 29. £ At Chicago, the National Crime Commission met to consider means to reduce the crime wave. It was attended by various noted public men, including ex-Secretary for War Mr. _ Baker, ex-Governor Lowden (Illinios), and the police commissioners of more than twenty large cities. The Commission paid special attention to the use of firearms by criminals. Air. Baker asked whether the police commissioners knew of any cases where citizens had really helped themselves by using pistols for seifprotection. The answer was unanimously in the negative. Among the suggestions made for curbing the dissemination of arms were the imposition of 200 per c-eiit. tax on all machine guns sold by American manufacturers aud an embargo on the importation of such weapons, save by the Government; the prohibition of the use of the mails to send arms: prompt trials and drastic- and certain punishment of gun carriers; the manufacture aud sale of all arms under Federal supervision; keeping of records of every gun manufactured from the time it is made to the moment it is soldi and the deportation of aliens found carrying arms. Air. Lowden stressed the punitive phase of crime control, citing figures to show that 59 per cent, of the crimes were inadequately punished. Police officials testified that machine guns, newest and most effective weapon of the American gunman, were now being sold openly by ostensibly reputable sporting goods and hardware dealers, in certain States political influence was used to obtain * permits for criminals to carry firearms legally.-—A. and X..C.A.