Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-02-25
TO AID THE NEEDY
Meeting of the Superintendents
Of the Poor.
TRAMPS AND THEIR REMEDY
Various Means Advised for the Abate-
ment Of These Nuisances-Jucgs
Maxwell on Economic Methods.


Mcmillan announced the followins
committees
On resolutions; II. A. Whitney. Cal
houn, L. Williams. OF Ing ham; J. l.
stockweiI, of Oakland; John Sullivan,
of losco; Vim. NJ. Stone, OF Eaton.
On legislation; II. w. Bush, of kala
mszoo; g. X. II owe. of Genesee; H
Mitchell, of Kent.
| On nomination OF officers; DR.. Camp
bell, OF Chippewa; A. w. Mech, ol
Kent; c. A. Merritt, OF Eaton.
On the selection ot place to hold
the next meeting; L. .. Burt, of Liv.
,ngston; Z. A. kidder, OF Osceola; VIM
\. Angel, of Ottawa.
The afternoon session was opened
with a paper by VIM. N. Angel OF OF
| tawa county on "1ramps: What Shall
We Do With Them ~ He said: ''fhe
tramp is modern ingredient in oui
civilization. but he seems To have come
TO stay. lie comes 10 Us for help. and
often begulies us into giving it, and
then not unfrequently Is arrested tor
larceny or some misdemeanor before
twenty-folr hours have elapsed. None
! of us are prepared to say how this
tramp nuisance may be abated. Legls
lation, thus tar, has proved worthless
Pnliaptnrop.c measures are crcditable
TO tine warm-heartedness OF then
founders, but IN many cases the game
Is worth far less than the ammunition.
would suggest that cheap barrack;
might bc provided Tor them at all rail.
road centers, partly warmed and pro-
vided with beds as hard rs Pharaoh
heart. Let them lie given coarse food
or bread and wafer, out don't make
their surroundings SO luxurious tha,
they will enjoy lite there"
Dr. Hull of Lansing believed that all
tramps lived upon the principle OF
Getting Something for Nothing.
"The law does not protect as it
should. The only remedy that has
ever done any good has been to re.
strain them. or put them to work. Put
them into the woik honse and make
take care of themselves"
Mr.. Wieand, superintendent of the
state public school said: EVERY time
you create q benevolent ASSOCIATION,
you create class OF men that that are
in the tramp or0er. Before the q. A.
kSs
ing of Grand Army tramps. A pos.
sibic solution may be found in this way.
Make 1t lawful that these men shall
build public roads. In this way the
farmer would be helped, the prosperity
of the country be increased, and the
tramp nuiaancc abated."
Mrs. d'Arcanlbel of the Detroit Home
of Ind ustry tod now she knew tramp
from disc.srgcd prisoner: If man
comes To her home and represents him.
self as hungry she always gives him
something TO eat. Then abe questions
HIM about his past life. Ii he says he
has been III prison she tells him to 60
INTO tho office. hang up his coat and
hat, put his name on the register, anu
after It write for what crime, he WI,
imprisoned After that she instructs
him to 60 down stairs and 20 {, making
brooms. She has found that the dis
charged prisoner will 60 down ana
work at the brooms, but that usually
the tramp "makes n sneak" out of the
back door. Work doesn't seem to agree
with the genuine tramp.
After further discussion upon the
tramp question. Judge Maxwell of Isa-
bella county presented the topic, "The
most economical way to aid the poor,
and at the same time not be niggarily."
The Judge said: "If some counties have
a way OF supplying the wants Of the
poor at \ less cost than others having
nearly the same population, We should
all seek to adopt their methods. The
state should adopt some other method
than the present one of caring for its
poor. LII 1T could be divided into SIX
districts. two in the upper and four IN
the lower peninsula, and all paupers be
cared for in the six centers, 1t might re-
duce expenses to a very desirable de-
gree. 1t is our glory that the Ameri-
can nation IS
An Example to All Other Nations
or the world in philanthropic methods
OF caring for the poor unfortunate.
Our charity is even broader. Far OF
lands call on US for help, and We nsten
to their crles and are now providing
bread for famine stricken Russia. But
grander work for US 10 do is to teach
our poor to care for themselves"
VIM. n. Angel thought that the ques-
tiou of furnishing labor for tramps
should be brougf.s before the state Leg
islature 1T its next session.
Mr.. Mech OF Kent regretted that the
charitable ladies Of the city had not at
tended the meetings.
Returning 10 the discussion OF the pa
per Mr.. Mech said that Grand Rapids
had solved the tramp question TO her
entire satisfaction. A rule bad been
made "No tramp need apply" and 1t
was rulc without exceptions.
Wm. NJ. Hathaway spoke Of the ad-
vantage il had been to Grand Rapids to
put men under sentence at work At
breaking stone for the roads. La his
Judgment the treatment for men under
sentence and for tfamps should be uni
form.
TIE Evening SECS Ion.
At the evening session of the poor
masters convention, Mrs. d'AIcambei
gave an interesting talk concerning the
history OF TIE Detroit Home of Indus
try for discharged prisoners, and Its
aims and objects. She concluded by
asking the delegates present 10 con-
suit with their supervisors and see ",
in lieu of the fact that the home saved
the counties many hundreds OF dollars
by reforming their criminals, II would
not be deemed advisable for the coun-
ties tn send the home some money TO
help pay of its debt. and keep up Its
expenses.
Mrs Myrtle koon Clergyman told
how Mr. spookeudyke instructed Mrs
Spookendyke on the POLITICAL situation,
arc then. by request. repeated TIE
selection. MARY Eltzsbefh,' that she
had gwen the preceding evening.
The. Rev. VI. p. Downing. president
OF the jesuit college at Detroit read q
paper on Healing the Sores OF Laz-
srus." He SAID: For 1900 years Lar.
erous hss heen lying ~ the doors OF
Cnristssn CIVILIZATION. Within the lsss
one hundred years hrs psesdIngs have
changed into 4 demand for jastsee.
Legislation has made him . rebel