We take the following data from the section entitled “Getreidepreise und Kriminalität.”
To 100 complaints there were (in Prussia):
| Years. | Crimes against | Price of Rye per Bushel. | ||
| Property. | Persons. | |||
| % | % | Sgr. Pf. | ||
| 1862 | 44.3 | 15.8 | 63 | .10 |
| 1863 | 41.6 | 17.0 | 54 | .3 |
| 1864 | 41.6 | 18.4 | 45 | .6 |
| 1865 | 38.5 | 17.7 | 49 | .11 |
| 1866 | 44.4 | 14.5 | 58 | .5 |
| 1867 | 50.2 | 13.1 | 79 | .0 |
| 1868 | 52.3 | 13.8 | 78 | .8 |
| 1869 | 45.7 | 14.3 | 64 | .7 |
We find here this rule, that a rise in the price of food is accompanied by an increase in the crimes against property and a decrease in crimes against persons, and vice versa. This table also shows that, if a very pronounced rise in prices has caused a great increase in criminality, the later fall in prices does not make itself felt in the number of crimes until some time after its commencement. (See 1867–1868.)
This phenomenon is very distinctly shown by the following table:
| Years. | Cases Tried. | Total Price of a Bushel of Wheat, of Rye, and of Potatoes in Groschen. |
| 1854 | 644,483 | 221.6 |
| 1855 | 686,207 | 241.4 |
| 1856 | 766,628 | 228.4 |
| 1857 | 705,291 | 161.1 |
It was only in 1857, then, that the fall in prices, beginning in 1856, commenced to produce its effect.
In conclusion we call attention to the following tables: [[55]]
Saxony.
| Years. | Crimes Against | Price of Wheat, of Rye, and of Potatoes per Bushel. | |
| Property. | Persons. | ||
| Gr. | |||
| 1860 | 37.25 | 35.04 | 170 |
| 1861 | 40.28 | 33.10 | 181 |
| 1862 | 38.78 | 34.65 | 173 |
| 1863 | 36.56 | 35.09 | 147 |