196 RELATION OF ‘ORIGINS AND NATIVITY TO CRIME
-_— Tm AMM _
what more recent data of arrival and a slightly larger surplus of males. Yet even if their
rate in penitentiaries be discounted by half, it would be far in excess of that for any
other group.
TABLE 122.—ORIGIN OF PENITENTIARY POPULATION (BOTH SEXES), 21 YEARS AND OVER,
BY SPECIFIED GROUPS OF ORIGINS, 1921,
Groups of Origins : :
North Western European..... .. ... ... wa cen .
South Eastern and Central European. | ................ 0.00.
Scandinavian. ........................ 00 Tl
Germanic... 0 [lI
Latinand Greek... 0011 [111
Slavie, . A RR EERE ES 2 memes be veers
Total
number in
penitentiaries,
(21 years
and over)
309
i
110
188
Total
population
(21 years
and over)
. 4d
224,460
91,360
229, 400
43,588
: 163, 916
Rate
per 100,000
af
12
2
3.
252
115
But let us push the analysis a step farther and actually eliminate some of the disturbing
factors. Table 123 shows the rate per 100000 of both sexes in penitentiaries for specified
groups of origins and broad nativity classes, In the lower section separate data for males
wre presented for the United States and other immigrant born,
If the rates for the Canadian born sections of the different groups be compared, it
will be seen that differences of origin by no means vanish. When we examine the Canadian
born alone the disturbing influence of sex distribution is eliminated as well as differences in
respect to birthplace. The influence of origin is thus relieved of two important disturbing
factors. The only other significant independent influence is age.
It is admitted of course that rural and urban distribution ‘is also related to crime, as is
occupation; but occupation and rural and urban distribution are essentially characteristic
of origins, as has been pointed out in a previous chapter. The Italians, for instance, live in
cities and follow urban occupations because urban residence is an outstanding characteristic
of that group on this continent. At the same time the Italians show very large proportions
in penitentiaries. If they were of anather stock like the Ukrainians, for example, they
would live in the country, work at agriculture and hold a different attitude towards the
law. It is not denied that urban residence accentuates the proportion of crime; indeed
it is one of the several characteristics of certain origins which favours it. In this section,
however, attention is focussed on the sum total of the traits of different stocks as they
affect the frequency of serious offences against society.
As distinet from rural and urban distribution, the age factor is a circumstance much
more independent of origin, and allowance should be made for any marked differences in
age distribution, when comparing two or more ‘origin’ groups. The question thus arises,
once sex and birthplace are eliminated, to what extent differences in age distribution
make comparisons invalid between the Canadian born sections of the various groups of
peoples. The answer is not hard to find. If one refers to Table No. 42, Vol. II of the
1921 Census, it will be seen that age distribution, instead of invalidating the comparison,
actually accentuates the differences to which reference has already been made. The propor-
tions 21 years and over in the Canadian born sections of the British, French, Scandinavian
and Germanic stocks were from 2 to 8 times greater than in the case of the Latin and Greek
and Slavic peoples of Canadian birth. Even assuming larger proportions of these 21 and
over in the latter groups to be young adults, the age distribution of the Canadian born of
the former stocks was unquestionably more favourable to a high crime rate. Yet the Latin
and Greek people of Canadian birth showed from six to sixteen times the number in
penitentiaries per 100,000 shown by the Canadian born of the earlier stocks, and the
Canadian born Slavs had a proportion from one half to four times greater. Similar differ-
ences appear between the geographical groups. The rate for the Canadian bern South.
