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Story
September 29, 1924
Perth Amboy Evening News
Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey
What is this article about?
Harry B. Hunt reports on high arrest rates in Washington DC, with 16% of residents arrested last year, mostly adult males. Discusses implications for traffic fatalities, public acceptance of auto deaths, intoxication arrests indicating a 'wet' district, and adds humorous notes on modern life.
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HUNT'S LETTER
WASHINGTON
By HARRY B. HUNT
NEA Service Writer
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29.--Sixteen out of every 100 residents of the District of Columbia were arrested for something or other in the last year.
These are official police figures. They mean another investigation when congress reconvenes. Congress is the district's city council, or board of supervisors.
It is conceded by everybody that something must be the matter with any place where nearly a fifth of the entire population gets put in jail in the course of a year. Congress will be asked to find out what the matter is.
The statistics mean more than may appear at first glance. For every adult male resident of the district there are four and a fraction women and children. (Just what the fraction represents the census bureau doesn't say--persons, perhaps, who have had their tonsils, adenoids or appendices removed. Four-and-a-fraction is the record, anyway.)
Now, certainly not nearly as many women as men are arrested, and very few children are arrested at all. So most of the arrests must have been made among a fraction less than one-sixth of those who live in Washington and its environs. Take that into account, and it becomes apparent that a grown-up male resident of the nation's capital has quite a job on his hands to keep out of the law's clutches at least once a year.
A large proportion of the arrests were for misuse of the automobile. This suggests the question of plans for reducing the number of motor car fatalities. And this, in turn, leads up to the interesting, if pessimistic, conclusion of the Washington police that, though such tragedies may be reduced in number, a heavy automobile death roll is inevitable, anyway.
The Washington police theory is that the public has come to accept auto deaths as a development of the times.
Science can prolong life for awhile. It can fight the white plague. It provides vaccination. It has serums against diphtheria and typhoid. The X-ray is efficacious in cancer cases, sometimes.
But science can't avert death from some cause or other, in the end.
Just so with the automobile. It may be regulated a little but it will do its work ultimately.
That's the view of the Washington police.
Two per cent of the District of Columbia's population were arrested last year for intoxication. When it's considered how many people take a drink in proportion to the number who get drunk, and how many get drunk in proportion to the number who get caught, the only fair conclusion is that the district is rather wet.
They say bobbed hair isn't as much trouble as long hair, and if you have your teeth pulled you won't have to brush them.
Friday is considered unlucky because it usually comes the day before payday and that's when you are broke.
WASHINGTON
By HARRY B. HUNT
NEA Service Writer
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29.--Sixteen out of every 100 residents of the District of Columbia were arrested for something or other in the last year.
These are official police figures. They mean another investigation when congress reconvenes. Congress is the district's city council, or board of supervisors.
It is conceded by everybody that something must be the matter with any place where nearly a fifth of the entire population gets put in jail in the course of a year. Congress will be asked to find out what the matter is.
The statistics mean more than may appear at first glance. For every adult male resident of the district there are four and a fraction women and children. (Just what the fraction represents the census bureau doesn't say--persons, perhaps, who have had their tonsils, adenoids or appendices removed. Four-and-a-fraction is the record, anyway.)
Now, certainly not nearly as many women as men are arrested, and very few children are arrested at all. So most of the arrests must have been made among a fraction less than one-sixth of those who live in Washington and its environs. Take that into account, and it becomes apparent that a grown-up male resident of the nation's capital has quite a job on his hands to keep out of the law's clutches at least once a year.
A large proportion of the arrests were for misuse of the automobile. This suggests the question of plans for reducing the number of motor car fatalities. And this, in turn, leads up to the interesting, if pessimistic, conclusion of the Washington police that, though such tragedies may be reduced in number, a heavy automobile death roll is inevitable, anyway.
The Washington police theory is that the public has come to accept auto deaths as a development of the times.
Science can prolong life for awhile. It can fight the white plague. It provides vaccination. It has serums against diphtheria and typhoid. The X-ray is efficacious in cancer cases, sometimes.
But science can't avert death from some cause or other, in the end.
Just so with the automobile. It may be regulated a little but it will do its work ultimately.
That's the view of the Washington police.
Two per cent of the District of Columbia's population were arrested last year for intoxication. When it's considered how many people take a drink in proportion to the number who get drunk, and how many get drunk in proportion to the number who get caught, the only fair conclusion is that the district is rather wet.
They say bobbed hair isn't as much trouble as long hair, and if you have your teeth pulled you won't have to brush them.
Friday is considered unlucky because it usually comes the day before payday and that's when you are broke.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Crime Punishment
Misfortune
What keywords are associated?
Arrest Statistics
Washington Dc
Auto Fatalities
Intoxication Arrests
Police Theory
What entities or persons were involved?
Harry B. Hunt
Where did it happen?
Washington, District Of Columbia
Story Details
Key Persons
Harry B. Hunt
Location
Washington, District Of Columbia
Event Date
Last Year
Story Details
Reports official police figures showing 16% arrest rate in DC, mostly adult males for auto misuse and intoxication; discusses inevitable auto fatalities and societal acceptance; notes DC as 'wet' despite Prohibition implications; ends with humorous observations.