(Indictments. Average to 100,000 Population, 1887–89.)

Average Wealth.Thefts.Frauds.Highway Robberies.Homicides.Assaults.
Latium 3333 639 116 18 25 513
Piedmont 2746 267 44 7 7 164
Liguria
Lombardy 2400 227 44 3 3 124
Tuscany 2164 211 34 6 7 165
Venice 1935 389 43 3 4 98
Reggio 1870 320 49 7 13 287
Emilia 1762 250 38 6 6 130
Sicily 1471 346 65 16 26 410
Naples 1333 435 47 6 21 531
Marches 1227 222 33 3 10 239
Umbria
Sardinia — 670 113 14 20 277

This table gives very little information as to the influence of wealth upon criminality, since we can draw from it the most contradictory conclusions. Note, for example, that the highest figures for theft are to be found in the regions of Latium and Sardinia, i.e. in the richest and the poorest provinces, etc., etc.

—I have more than once had occasion to show that the value of such researches is fictitious. It is not the total amount of wealth but its distribution that bears upon criminality. (See, for example, Quetelet and Colajanni)—

In the 3d section the author treats of the effect of involuntary unemployment. Wright tells us that in Massachusetts of every 220 persons convicted, 147 are without regular work, and that 68% of criminals have no occupation. According to Professor Lombroso this is easily explained by the fact that criminals do not like to work. According to Bosco there were only 18% of murderers in the United States without work (—the proportion not being given for non-criminals, these figures have little value—). Finally, Professor Lombroso mentions the opinion of Coghlan, who says that unemployment has no influence upon criminality in New South Wales (—upon what he bases his opinion, we do not know—).

—Such data as these (to a subject of such high importance as this the author gives but thirty lines) suffice for the conclusion that the phenomenon in question has little significance for criminality. I have only to recall the extensive studies of Mayr, Denis, Müller, [[93]]Lafargue, and others, upon this subject, to prove the inaccuracy of this idea.— [[92]]

Days of Work Equivalent to a Year’s Food.Number of Persons (to the 100,000 Inhabitants) convicted for:
Homicide.Assault.Sexual Offenses.Theft.
12345
England and Wales 127 Scotland 0.51 England + Wales 2.67 Spain 1.03 Spain 59.63
Scotland England + Wales 0.56 Ireland 6.24 Ireland 0.85 Belgium 110.44
Ireland Ireland 1.06 Scotland 11.59 Scotland 1.41 France 110.95
Belgium 130 Germany 1.11 Spain 43.17 England + Wales 1.66 Italy 165.89
France 132 Belgium 1.44 France 63.40 Italy 4.01 Ireland 65.81
Germany 148 France 1.53 Germany 126.40 Austria 9.33 England + Wales 165.63
Austria 152 Austria 2.43 Italy 155.35 France 10.26 Scotland 208.39
Italy 153 Spain 8.25 Belgium 175.39 Belgium 13.83 Germany 226.02
Spain 154 Italy 9.53 Austria 230.45 Germany 14.87

Note.—Column 1 is taken from Mulhall’s Dictionary of Statistics (quoted by Coghlan, op. cit.); and columns 2–5 are figured from the data published by the Director of Italian Statistics (“Movimento della Delinquenza secondo le Statistiche degli Anni 1873–83”, Rome, 1886). [[93]]

In the table on the preceding page the figures for criminality of different countries are compared with the number of days’ wages equivalent to the annual cost of food for one individual. These figures give us a composite picture of the price of food and the wage-scale.

This table shows; first, that excessive labor with a low wage, i.e. with a lack of proper nutrition, has a certain correspondence with homicide; second, there is also a certain correspondence with assaults (Spain and Belgium furnishing exceptions); third, sexual crimes are most common where we find the fewest days’ work and vice versa (Great Britain and some other countries being exceptions); fourth, that theft shows no correspondence.[8]