CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS. Subject to the Influence of Economic Occurrences and varying with Them. Inversely. Much. {Crimes against property without violence.
Moderately. {Crimes against property with violence.
Little. Crimes against property with premeditated destruction.
Crimes other than those named above and those against persons and against the currency.
Directly. {Crimes over which the Influence of Alcohol is Predominant. {Crimes against persons.
Not subject to the Influence of Economic Occurrences. Not at All. {Misdemeanors and contraventions.
Only Slightly. {Forgery and counterfeiting.

His investigation gives the following results for New South Wales:

CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS. Subject to the Influence of Economic Occurrences and varying with Them. Inversely. Much. 1. Theft and receiving stolen goods.
2. Petty larceny.
3. Horse-stealing.
Moderately. 4. Minor offenses against property.
5. Domiciliary thefts.
6. Sheep-stealing.
7. Forgery.
Little. {8. Cattle-stealing.
Crimes and Misdemeanors over which the Influence of Alcohol is Predominant. 9. Murder.
10. Arson.
11. Homicide.
12. Assaults.
13. Extortion.
14. Robbery.
15. Other minor offenses.
Directly. I. Offenses against public decency.
II. Offenses against morals (homosexuality).
III. Offenses against morals.
IV. Minor offenses against persons.
Not subject to the Influence of Economic Occurrences. A. Blackmail and cheating.
B. Perjury.

—It is incontestable that the researches of Dr. Fornasari di Verce must be placed in the front rank of the works that show the correctness of the thesis that the economic factors are the most important factors of criminality. An objection may be made, however, that the question has been conceived in too mechanical a fashion, in consequence of the exclusive use of the statistical method. He seeks the correlation between criminality and each economic phenomenon separately, in place of that of the ensemble of these phenomena. For [[145]]the economic life does not exist in reality as separated and isolated parts, but forms a great whole, a compact mass, of which the parts fit in together. When an important economic occurrence takes place, in case the expected effect upon crime is not observed, we must not be too quick to say that it has no importance for criminality, for it may be that it is neutralized by something else.

With this remark is connected a final objection. The author has not proved the truth of his conclusion that criminality cannot be explained exclusively by means of economic conditions. For, although his researches include very important economic factors, the author leaves out many economic factors and, with one exception (the degenerating influence of poverty), the numerous consequences of economic conditions, which are of the highest importance for the question in hand. In other words the author has not called attention to the fact that we live under an economic system of a comparatively recent date, having peculiar characteristics that are of great significance for criminality. He has indicated some very important consequences of the system, but he has not analyzed the system itself.

I am of the opinion that the work that I have been treating, and which has a great value for the subject, shows that economic conditions are of great importance for criminality. However, it does not prove that this influence is not greater than is shown by statistics.—

[[Contents]]

VI.

A. Niceforo.

In the first part of his study, “Criminalità e condizioni economiche in Sicilia”, the author calls attention to the fact that Sicily is one of the Italian districts where crime is greatest and is increasing most rapidly. One could draw upon the map lines enclosing a definite criminal zone, taking in the provinces of Caltanissetta, Girgenti, and Catania. This zone might, in its turn, be divided into two others, one of which would give a high figure for robberies and homicides, and the other chiefly for crimes against property and against morals.