American public opinion is becoming very restive over the homicide
statistics in the United States, and many references to the subject are contained in the remarks of public speakers and in the Press. Dr. Frederick L. Hoffman, the insurance statistician, points out that if the graves of the victims of murder in the United States in a single year were laid end to end they would extend for twenty miles. For more than a decade the annual number of murders has been between eight and nine thousand, while in Great Britain the number last year was only 63. Among the suggestions made to remedy the present state of affairs are more expeditious justice, as frequently at present two or three years may elapse between the crime and its expiation ; the introduction of legislation prohibiting the manufacture and sale of pistols, except for the use of policemen, is also advocated; but above all, as the Pittsburgh Post ,observes, the main thing is to inculcate greater respect for the sanctity of human life.
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