Stone's Report

Attorney General Harlan F. Stone presented his report for the last fiscal year, although he has been in office only about three months of the period.

He reported that:

1) The criminal law business of the Government has increased 33% since 1920, more than 500% since 1912.

2) The civil law business of the Government has increased 100% since 1920.

3) The Federal prohibition law has put a "staggering" load on the courts. Pending at the end of the year were 22,339 cases, although 46,609 cases had been terminated, nearly 4,000 cases more than the previous year.

4) Convictions under the prohibition law increased by 3,114, with fines increasing from $5,832,389 to $7,487,235, and the average jail sentence imposed increasing from 21 days to 34.

He recommended that:

1) Section 140 of the Criminal Code (which makes it a crime to assault or wound an officer serving a process) should be extended to include the killing of such an officer--an act against which there is now no Federal Law.

2) It should be made punishable to send through the mails letters threatening life or property--an act now punishable only if such threats are used to defraud or for extortion.

3) A law should be passed to permit the presence of a stenographer in grand jury rooms--a point on which there is now a difference of judicial opinion.

4) It should be made a crime for a single individual to defraud or attempt to defraud the Government--it is now a crime to conspire to defraud the Government.

5) Various improvements should be made in the bankruptcy laws.