Homicides and other crimes of violence against the person are steadily falling. The movement extends, though in a less degree, to assaults and other minor offences of violence which are within the ordinary jurisdiction of the summary courts, and to arson and the various other offences of malicious damage to property. This improvement is obviously connected with the decrease of prosecutions for drunkenness, which were 81,659 in 1923 as against an annual average of 189,204 in 1909-1913. This again is traceable to the reduced consumption of intoxicating liquors resulting from high prices, restricted hours of sale, the higher cost of living and the poverty arising from unemployment.

Twenty persons were tried for and sixteen persons were convicted of the offence of infanticide created by the Infanticide Act, 1922. In the past the number of women convicted of the murder of their newlyborn infants has not exceeded one in each year, and it appears to have been the practice of juries in nearly every such case to return a verdict of concealment of birth only.

Crimes falling within the sexual offences group have increased from an annual average of 2,205 in 1909-13 to 3,030 in 1923, the chief increase being from 1,129 to 1,597, under the heading of indecent assaults on females. A large part of the increase under this heading may be attributed to the growing practice (in the interests of the victims of such crimes and where the circumstances of the case permit and justify such a course) of reducing charges of sexual crimes triable only at the Assizes to offences cognizable summarily. The change in the law made by the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1922, which, as from the 4th August, 1922, raised the age of consent as a defence to charges of indecent assult from thirteen to sixteen does not appear to have resulted in an increase of prosecutions, but it is probable that the prominence given to the subject during many years by efforts to strengthen the law has caused, over a long period, increased activity in the repression of sexual offences. Only one headingprocuration-relates to offences susceptible to preventive action by the police. The figures against this heading are so small-nine in 1923 as against an annual average of 35 in 1909-13-as to completely negative the existence of organised traffic. There were 465 cases of bigamy in 1923 as against an annual average of 155 in 1909-13. During the war this offence progressively increased to a maximum of 926 in 1919. Since that year the figures have as regularly dropped but the number of cases. in 1923 (most of which must have originated since the war) is still so large as to suggest that the effect of the war in weakening moral obligations has not yet passed away.

The net increase of 9,102 or 9 per cent. in the total of all crimes known to the police is exceeded by the increase of 10,228 under only three headings of offences against property, viz: shopbreaking 3,862 or 85 per cent. (4,558 to 8,420), simple larceny and minor larcenies 2,086 or 3.3 per cent. (62,305 to 64,391), and obtaining by false pretences 4,280 or 94 per cent. (4,565 to 8,845).

Like most crimes, shopbreaking fell considerably upon the outbreak of war, but at an early date commenced to rise again, and from 1915 to 1922 increased annually by an average of about 800 per annum ; in 1923 the figures were stationary. The increase extends to the figures of persons tried, but is less considerable there owing to the difficulty of detecting the perpetrators of crimes of this description. Housebreaking, attempts to break into houses, shops, &c., and entering with intent to commit felony have also increased, but the other offences of this class, sacrilege, burglary, possession of housebreaking tools, &c., robbery, and extortion have not increased, and in some cases have considerably diminished. The main reasons for the increase of shopbreaking appear to be the greater facilities for raiding unguarded valuable property afforded by the development of motor traction under the stress of war necessities, coupled with the weakening of the forces of order during wartime by the imposition upon the police of extra duties incidental to the war, e.g., the supervision and registration of aliens, and the enforcement of war restrictions and regulations, simultaneously with the calling up or enlistment of large numbers of police officers for naval or military service. At the same time there appears to be manifested the adoption by criminals of methods more characteristic of less settled communities, e.g., the commission of crimes of violence in gangs and the use of firearms. in conjunction with motor cars, &c.

Since the war the resources of the police for dealing with this class of crime have been severely weakened by the creation or expansion of other duties, e.g., the control and regulation of street traffic, duties in relation to cattle disease, &c., while at the same time the absolute necessity for administrative economy keeps the police forces at about five per cent. under their established strength. Even on this reduced basis the cost of the police has enormously increased since the pre-war period, the total gross cost of the police during the financial year ending 31st March, 1923, having been £19,871,200, as against £8,024,698 in 1913-14.

As stated above, the perpetrators of offences of this character are difficult to detect under modern conditions. Frequently many such offences are committed by the same person before he falls into the hands of the police and in a recent case it was said that the prisoner had committed seventy-two similar offences before being detected. The stationary figures of 1923 encourage the hope that the peak of the curve for this offence has now been reached and that in the future there will be attained a larger measure of success in the prevention of such offences. It is hoped that the restrictions on the possession of firearms imposed by the Firearms Act, 1920, may tend to discourage the carrying of firearms by criminals.

The increase of offences of simple larceny is not great proportionately to the total number of such offences-from an annual average of 62,305 in 1909-13 to 64,391 in 1923-an increase, as stated above, of 2,086 or 3.3 per cent. The number of persons tried dropped from 45,138 to 38,423. The divergence between the two sets of figures suggests that the increase of crimes arises from the advent of new forms of dishonesty difficult to

detect, e.g., stealing motor cars. The figures for larceny commonly rise in hard times and fall when trade is good, and the unsettled conditions and widespread poverty resulting from unemployment which have prevailed of late years abundantly account for an increase of this offence.

Cases of obtaining by false pretences have grown from 4,565 in 1909–13 to 8,845 in 1923, an increase of 4,280 or 94 per cent. Part of this enormous increase is due to the operation of Section 44 (3) of the Larceny Act, 1916, which provides that in certain circumstances persons indicted for larceny may be convicted of obtaining by false pretences. This may also account to a small extent for the divergence referred to above between the figures for larcenies committed which are furnished by police authorities, and persons tried for larceny which are compiled from the proceedings of the courts. But other descriptions of frauds, not affected by the provisions of the Larceny Act, 1916, show increases which, proportionately, are equally serious, and it is clear that frauds of all kinds, which obviously cannot be prevented by the police, have risen very rapidly since the

war.

Variations in the figures under certain headings are caused by changes in the circumstances of crimes and do not indicate an actual increase or decrease of offences. For example, the increase of forgeries from 490 in 1909-13 to 665 in 1923, and the decrease of coining and uttering counterfeit coin from 255 to 143, mainly reflects the change in the form of the currency made upon the outbreak of war. The new offence of forging and uttering Treasury notes is reminiscent of the crime of forging one pound Bank of England notes which was a capital offence a century ago.

Since the war crime appears to have assumed new forms. There has been a great increase of certain descriptions of crimes of dishonesty accompanied by violence, of which breaking into unguarded shops and warehouses by night and removing the goods or merchandise in motor vans is a typical and frequent example. Crimes of this character have increased so extensively as to raise the total of all crimes. Frauds and commercial dishonesty have also flourished, and it may reasonably be suggested that both classes of offences are in many cases assignable to the long continued debasing effects of the war upon conduct and character.

On the other hand crimes of violence against the person and crimes savouring of habitual criminality tend to diminish. With regard to the latter offences, burglary, possession of housebreaking tools, and larceny from the person all show a falling off, which, however, might merely mean that their professors have adopted newer and more profitable forms of crime.

To sum up, the remarkable increase of two or three classes of crimes against property has brought them into great prominence, but putting aside these cases, the opinion may be hazarded that crime in general has steadily diminished over a considerable term of years, and in addition the reduction is greatest in the more serious forms of law breaking.

Non-Indictable Offences.-The non-indictable offences which are within the ordinary powers of the courts of summary jurisdiction increased from 524,678 in 1922 to 546,606 in 1923. The annual average for the period 1909 to 1913 was 653,005. The difference as compared with prewar figures is mainly due to the falling off in prosecutions for drunkenness (189,204 in 1909-13 and 81,659 in 1923) against which may be set the increase of offences in relation to motor cars (16,100 in 1909–13 and 99,906 in 1923). Other offences with greatly diminished figures are education offences (39,863 in 1909-13 and 22,858 in 1923), offences against police regulations (100,663 and 65,908), prostitution (11,065 and 2,401), and begging and sleeping out (38,773 and 8,055). The principal other large increases are betting and gaming (4,618 in 1909-13 as compared with 10,794 in 1923), highway offences not in relation to motor cars (48,806 and 66,289), Revenue offences (18,418 and 21,549), and Sunday trading (8,160 and 24,309, of which 16,479 cases were at Kingston-upon-Hull).

PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL COURTS.

Assizes and Quarter Sessions.-The number of persons for trial at Assizes and Quarter Sessions was 8,126, as against 8,435 in 1922 and 12,511 in 1913. The results of the proceedings in Courts of Assize and Quarter Sessions may be briefly stated as follows:-Of the 8,126 persons who were brought up for trial, 141 were not actually tried, as in 3 cases the prosecution was not proceeded with, in 98 cases the bill of indictment was thrown out by the Grand Jury, and in 40 cases the jury found that the accused was insane and unfit to plead. There remain 7,985 persons actually tried, of whom 1,412 were acquitted, and 6,541 convicted, while 32 persons were found to have committed crimes while insane and were ordered to be detained during His Majesty's pleasure.

Court of Criminal Appeal.-There were 93 appeals for hearing, as against 86 in the preceding year and 157 in 1913. In 44 cases the conviction or sentence was affirmed and in 49 cases the conviction or sentence was quashed, including 20 cases in which other sentences were substituted.

Courts of Summary Jurisdiction. The number of persons tried by Courts of Summary Jurisdiction in 1923 was 595,244, of whom 48,638 were charged with indictable offences and 546,606 with non-indictable offences. The number of persons who were discharged was 56,525, while 74,242 were dealt with without conviction after the charge was proved, and 464,477 were convicted.

The 74,242 cases where the charges were proved, but in which orders. were made without conviction, consisted of 44,513 cases in which the charge was dismissed; 16,576 in which recognizances were ordered with or without sureties under Section 1 of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1907; 12,101 cases in which, in addition, probation orders were made under Section 2 of the same Act; 860 in which children under 14 were committed to industrial schools; 21 in which children were committed to the custody of relatives, &c., and 171 in which the persons charged were sent to institutions for defectives, &c.

The 464,477 persons convicted were dealt with as follows:Sentenced to Imprisonment without the option of Fine, 26,901; Detention in Police Cells, 806; Detention in Reformatory Schools, 681; Whipping, 534; Fine, 433,137; Ordered to enter into Recognizances, 1,665; Otherwise disposed of, 753.

Juvenile Courts.-The figures in regard to Courts of Summary Jurisdiction include the cases dealt with in Juvenile Courts. The total number of persons brought before Juvenile Courts in 1923 was 30,505, viz., 14,715 children, 14,054 young persons, and 1,736 persons aged above 16. Including the children and young persons who were dealt with by ordinary Courts of Summary Jurisdiction, there were 32,717 juvenile offenders (15,480 children and 17,237 young persons). The number of juvenile offenders in 1913 was 38,341.

Of the 28,713 youthful offenders brought before Juvenile Courts (omitting 56 who were not tried summarily), 3,434 (or 12 per cent.) were acquitted, orders without conviction were made against 14,631 persons (or 51 per cent.), and 10,648 persons (or 37 per cent.) were convicted.

Of the 14,631 juvenile offenders who were proved guilty but not "convicted," 6,357 were discharged (in some cases being ordered to pay damages or costs), 2,316 were ordered to enter into recognizances, 5,448 were placed under the supervision of probation officers, 463 were sent to industrial schools, and 47 were placed in the care of relatives, sent to institutions for defectives, &c.

Only one youthful offender* was sentenced to imprisonment without the option of a fine, 37 were sentenced to confinement in places of detention, 629 were committed to reformatory schools, 514 males were ordered to be whipped, and 9,409 (or 88 per cent. of the number convicted) were sentenced to pay fines. In 2,032 cases the fine was ordered to be paid by the parent or guardian of the defendant.

Probation Orders.-During the year 1923 probation orders were made in respect of 12,666 persons (as compared with 11,071 in 1913) including 506 persons convicted on indictment, 9,612 persons tried summarily for indictable offences, and 2,506 persons charged with non-indictable offences.

Home Office,

March, 1925.

W. J. FARRANT.

* Children under 14 may not be sentenced to imprisonment nor committed to prison in default of payment of fines, damages, or costs. Nor may young persons aged 14 to 16 years be so dealt with unless the Court certifies that the young person is of so unruly a character that he cannot be detained in a place of detention, or that he is of so depraved a character that he is not a fit person to be so detained (Children Act, 1908, sec. 102.).