The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-18
THE TRAMp NUISANCE.

The tramp nuisance is again upon US.
1t is troubling many other parts of the
country. What to do about it is Sc
rious question. If it were not as COM
plicated as it is there would be little
trouble in settling it. The chief diff
Guilty in the way is the opposite classes
which are mingled together in the army
OF men who come under the appellation
of tramps.
The common criminal tramp is deserv-
ing OF small sympathy. He is a lazy,
loafng, brutal vagabond, not always
cowardly, however, even though he will
take advantage Of the weak when he has
a chance and will steal rather than work.
He may generally be distinguished by
his vicious, dirty, animalized appear
ance and by his antipathy to pay for food
by labor, and his want of money for
drink more than meal to eat. The po-
lice authorities are the proper means to
deal with him. He should be relieved
by arrest for vagrancy and put to work
to pay his penalty.
There are numbers of honest working
men who are compelled to tramp in order
to seek for that employment which they
cannot find where they have made their
home. They are OF a different stripe.
They are willing to pay for aid by any
kind OF work they are able to do and
usually prefer to earn meal than to beg
it. They ought not to be confounded
with the other class, even though their
garb and appearance may show the signs
of their tramping experience.
But relief of these more or less worthy
tramps, no more than the protection OF
the public against the criminal class,
should devolv9 upon individual citizens.
There ought to be some public or at any
rate organized private means, by which
either class should be properly dealt with.
For, the prowling of the vicious, and the
disturbing to the peace of the people, es-
pecIally to women and children who are
often intimidated by their presence and
in fear of their appearance.
Germany has taken hold of this ques-
ton in practical manner, and the plan
in operation IN that country has been re-
ported by the Consul-general at Frank
fort on the Maine. His paper is full of
valuable information and is thus epitom-
lied by the New York San:
The first step taken was to organize in
towns and villages anti beggary societies,
the members OF which paid certain
yearly fee to the society treasury, and
agreed to give nothing to beggars who
should apply at their doors. A small
metallic disk, bearing the name Of the
society, is fastened at the front door of
each members house. This tells the
beggar that his appeal for aims will be
denied, that he Will be referred to the office
of the society, where his case will be
carefully investigated before relief is
granted. The society provides a relief
station, which is placed near the princi-
pal entrance to the toWn-in the case of
large city there may be several of these
stations outside its suburbs-Where, by
few hours work, the destitute wayfarer
may earn ticket which will entitle him
to food and lodging at the ''herberge, or
lodging house. The house is established
and supported by the municipal or COM
munal government from the public funds.
1t is plain country boarding house,
where wholesome food and clean beds can
be obtained, but no liquor. It's main
tenance is the price which the community
pays for exemption from the tramp
nuisance.
After passing a night and obtaining
meals at the herberge the vagrant is pro-
vided with ticket inscribed with his
name, age, birthplace and the route that
he intends to take in search of work. If
he wanders lar from that route he is liza
bic to arrest by the first rural policeman
whose precinct he enters, in which case
his card is taken away and he is locked
up for a season, to be dismissed with a
reprimand and another card which will
pass him TO the nearest herbeyge in the
direction that he desires TO follow. II he
arrives there not later than o'clock in
the afternoon he will receive his dinuer,
his afternoon work, supper, bed, and the
next morning his breakfast, together
with new card that will pass him on to
the next herberge, allowing time to seek
for work along the way and yet arrive by
2 CLOCK. Should he reach the lodging
house later than that hour he will, unless
he can prove that he was detained by ac-
cident or some other good reason, get
nothing and must shift for himself dur
ing the night. In this way man can
walk over almost the whole of Germany
without ever being destitute of food or
shelter and without ever having money
enough to buy dram of liquor.