Crimebusters

The Principality of Monaco supports itself from man's gambling instincts, but the Commonwealth of Massachusetts thrives on sustained attempts at eliminating this type of vice. This was the aim of the state Crime Commission, which expired quietly last March 31 amid loud blasts of furor concerning its achievements in reform.

The Crime Commission, it must be noted, displayed little subtlety or knowledge of psychology in the manner in which it issued the final 400-page report on the subject of its three responsibilities: determining whether organized illegal gambling exists in Massachusetts, what is its scope, and what ought to be done about it. And it left the world after a four-year existence, with few friends among the public or in the state government.

The long-awaited report which appeared last month did prove to be a "shocker"--as Commission members had predicted--more on account of the style in which it was written than of any unexpected disclosures. In it the majority of the members condemned the growing state of lawlessness as "pernicious and shocking," described in detail the workings of a gambling syndicate, and indicated it was withholding a section of the report, with names and further particulars. Although this section was later turned over to the Legislature, the Commission's hesitancy implied its doubt on whether the information could stand up in court.

The vagueness of the report made many legislators join those who might have had something to gain by discrediting it--South Boston's Sen. John Powers said that it made him "retch inside"--and strengthened the charge that the Commission was merely crying wolf. Opposition to the report also weakened the effect of its positive conclusions about police laxity, the newspapers' cooperation, and occasional political collusion with gamblers.

As remedies, the Commission proposed imposition of a 50 percent income tax on convicted gamblers, mandatory prison terms for a second offense, and fingerprinting of arrested bookies. Unfortunately, the opposing minority report by two legislator members of the Commission bodes ill for the passage of these proposals, not to mention the more ambitious suggestions, such as the abolition of all gambling in the state, the integration of local police departments, or making Attorney General an appointive position.

The Crime Commission's report has been left as a last testament of its brief four-year life and $120,000 budget and will probably lie unread until another wave of indignation again demands a cleanup of organized crime. The Commission made few worthwhile recommendations, and the manner in which they were presented minimizes the chances of any resulting action. A State House skeptic summed up the general reaction to the report: "At least it tells you how to play fan tan."