Years.Thefts of Wood.Price of Rye.
Sgr. Pf.
1862 387,000 63.10
1863 354,276 54.3
1864 366,667 45.6
1865 426,336 49.11
1866 425,551 58.5
1867 412,165 79.0
1868 419,158 78.8
1869 406,662 64.7
1870 389,746 62.3
1871 439,288 66.0
1872 401,280 82.0
1873 337,112 93.0
1874 356,859 108.0

We can indeed find here some agreement between the two columns, but that is all that can be said.

Then the author says that differences in price are not as great as formerly, on account of the development of international commerce. He gives a table of comparative prices from 1870 to 1879 which shows that five staples show no consistent movement in price. But during the same period theft was continually on the increase. The number of male delinquents from 18 to 50 alone varies with prices; the figures for delinquents between 50 and 60 follow the course of prices but slightly. Other economic crimes show little conformity.

The final conclusion of Fuld upon crimes against property is: “The influence of the price of provisions upon these offenses is quite important.” Although not giving my opinion upon the correctness of this judgment at this time, I may say that the statistics furnished by Fuld give almost no proof of it.

The following part treats of crimes against life. It is evident that we are not concerned with crimes of passion. The only ones that enter into consideration are those that have an economic object. But since criminal statistics do not make this distinction, the results of the author’s investigation can be but small. He is indeed convinced [[60]]that the influence of the price of provisions is very perceptible, but he does not prove it. The same may be said with regard to sexual crimes.

[[Contents]]

XI.

B. Weisz.[31]

“The wants that man must satisfy are numerous, but there is none which makes itself felt so much as hunger. If he cannot satisfy his wants in a lawful fashion, necessity drives him to other means.”

To prove what he says Dr. Weisz produces the following table: