Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 1.djvu/817

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NO TES AND ABSTRA CTS 8o I

classification is fundamental, both in regard to crime and in regard to criminals. This latter is of recent development. Criminal anthropology is receiving much attention, but its results are inconclusive. However, one of its methods, anthropometry, is proving of great value for individual identification. Another marked tendency is the treatment of crime as a general rather than as a local disease, and the application of general rather than local remedies. The centralized system of administration has resulted in a marked decrease of crime in European countries. In general, this shows that crime is being regarded less as a crime against the state, and more as one against civilization. There is a general recognition of the need of manual labor in prisons as an element of order, of hygiene, and of moral power. There is also a tendency to give the prisoner a share in the proceeds of his labor. More reliance is being placed upon moral than upon physical force for the reformation of the prisoner. The pre- dominant appeal is to hope rather than to fear. Probationary laws for first offenders and indeterminate sentences are coming into general acceptance. The underlying thought now is, " an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." (Tendencies in Penology, by Samuel J. Barrows in The New World for March 1896.)

Results of German Compulsory Insurance.— The summary of the Accident Insurance for the last five years is as follows :

1891 1892 J893 1894 1895

Fresh accidents reported 225.337 236,265 264,130 282,982 309,648

Fresh accidents entailing compensation. 51,209 55,654 62,729 69,619 79,954

Fresh accidents which proved fatal 6,428 5,911 6,336 6,361 6,280

Fresh accidents which resulted in total

and permanent disability 2,595 2,664 2,507 1,748 2,129

The total number insured in 1894 was 18,191,747, insured by 112 (64 industrial and 48 agricultural) corporations of employers (Benifsgenossenschaften). The num- ber who received compensation for accidents was 369,903, and the total amount of compensation paid was 511,070,087 (in round numbers). The number insured under the Old Age and Invalidity Insurance during 1894 was 11,510,000. The total number of old age pensioners at the end of the year was 183,168, 33,442 being added during the year. The number of invalidity pensioners was 71,755, 44,397 being added during the year. The total number of pensioners in this group was 254,923, receiving in all 88,500,000 (round numbers). For 1895 'he total number of old age pensioners was 217,600, and of invalid pensioners was 130,900, receiving in round numbers $10,500,- 000. The last full report for insurance against sickness is for the year 1893. There were then insured 7,106,804, and the total insurance paid was, in round numbers, 825,500,000, paid on 2,794,027 cases of sickness. On an average from 1888 to 1893, there were 35.4 cases of sickness per 100 members of both sexes per annum. The cases of sickness were more numerous among male than among female members, the corresponding numbers for the two sexes being 36.6 and 31.0 respectively. The average number of days sickness per member per annum was 5.9, the rate for males being again higher than for females, viz., 6.0 compared with 5.5. The figures do not include confinements. (Latest Results of the Working of the German Insurance Laws, in The Labor Gazette for February and March 1896.)