We have here, then, as always, a great increase in fall and winter, and a corresponding decrease in spring and summer.
Second. A second proof of the importance of absolute poverty as a cause of crime etc. is furnished by the fact that there is a considerable increase of the crimes in question in times of economic depression (high price of bread, lack of work, etc.). In Part One I have cited many works in which this phenomenon is proved for a number of countries. I refer the reader, therefore, to the more important of these, and add other data here. [[567]]
Germany, 1882–1911.[386]
| Years. | Price of Rye in Marks per 1000 Kilogr. (Berlin.) | Imports and Exports in Billions of Marks. | Number of Persons Convicted of Crimes given below, to 100,000 of Population over 12Years of Age. | ||||
| Simple Theft. | Aggravated Theft. | Receiving Stolen Goods. | Fraud. | Embezzlement. | |||
| 1882 | 152.3 | 6.3 | 250 | 28 | 26 | 37 | 46 |
| 1883 | 144.7 | 6.5 | 241 | 25 | 24 | 38 | 46 |
| 1884 | 143.3 | 6.4 | 231 | 25 | 23 | 39 | 46 |
| 1885 | 140.6 | 5.8 | 214 | 22 | 22 | 38 | 45 |
| 1886 | 130.6 | 5.9 | 210 | 20 | 21 | 41 | 45 |
| 1887 | 120.9 | 6.2 | 198 | 21 | 20 | 43 | 44 |
| 1888 | 134.5 | 6.7 | 194 | 21 | 20 | 44 | 44 |
| 1889 | 155.5 | 7.2 | 211 | 23 | 21 | 49 | 47 |
| 1890 | 170.0 | 7.6 | 206 | 24 | 21 | 50 | 47 |
| 1891 | 211.2 | 7.7 | 216 | 25 | 22 | 54 | 50 |
| 1892 | 176.3 | 7.3 | 236 | 31 | 25 | 59 | 52 |
| 1893 | 133.7 | 7.3 | 202 | 26 | 22 | 58 | 51 |
| 1894 | 117.8 | 7.2 | 198 | 27 | 22 | 60 | 52 |
| 1895 | 119.8 | 7.6 | 192 | 24 | 22 | 61 | 53 |
| 1896 | 118.8 | 8.2 | 184 | 24 | 19 | 58 | 50 |
| 1897 | 130.1 | 8.5 | 188 | 23 | 18 | 61 | 51 |
| 1898 | 146.3 | 9.4 | 191 | 25 | 19 | 63 | 52 |
| 1899 | 146.3 | 10.0 | 179 | 24 | 19 | 63 | 53 |
| 1900 | 142.6 | 10.7 | 181 | 23 | 18 | 60 | 51 |
| 1901 | 140.7 | 10.2 | 190 | 26 | 19 | 64 | 52 |
| 1902 | 144.2 | 10.6 | 191 | 28 | 20 | 66 | 55 |
| 1903 | 132.3 | 11.4 | 182 | 26 | 19 | 64 | 54 |
| 1904 | 135.1 | 12.1 | 176 | 24 | 17 | 62 | 54 |
| 1905 | 151.9 | 13.2 | 175 | 25 | 17 | 61 | 56 |
| 1906 | 160.6 | 14.8[387] | 179 | 28 | 18 | 62 | 58 |
| 1907 | 193.2[388] | 15.5 | 178 | 28 | 18 | 61 | 60 |
| 1908 | 186.5 | 14.0 | 189 | 32 | 20 | 61 | 63 |
| 1909 | 176.5 | 15.1 | 182 | 33 | 20 | 62 | 65 |
| 1910 | 152.3 | 16.4 | 176 | 32 | 19 | 63 | 65 |
| 1911 | 168.3 | 17.8 | 169 | 30 | 19 | 63 | 65 |
If, in examining the preceding table, we do not lose sight of the fact that the rise or fall of the price of grain does not make itself felt immediately, and that in the criminal statistics of a certain year there appear also persons who have committed their crime in a preceding year, it is clear how enormous is the influence of the economic [[568]]movement upon economic crimes. The price of grain had formerly a decisive influence upon the trend of economic crimes; now, in industrial countries like Germany, it is rather the industrial situation, without, however, the price of cereals losing all influence.[389]
England, 1823–1896.
Dr. Tugan-Baranowsky proved for the periods 1823–1850 and 1871–1896 the correlation between good and bad times and the decrease and increase of criminality.
For the period 1858–1864 the same proof is given by Mayr (see Part I); and for the years 1840–1890 by Fornasari di Verce (see Part I). The figures of the former have reference only to crime in general, and do not, therefore, show sufficiently the effect upon crimes that are merely economic.[390]
Grand-Duchy of Baden, 1875–1892.[389]
J. S(chmidt), the statistician, shows the parallelism of the two curves for the period mentioned (p. 243).