The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-18
TRAMPs IN GERMANY.
Sagrant WANDERERS Forced to Earn q,
Food and shelter They secure.

close of the war of isso-7f Two Years
later it was estimated that not less
than two hundred thousand men and
boys were living as vagabonds in the
herman empire. begging from town to
town. cenoraiixing and in many in
stances terrorizinG the rural comlnani.
ties The support of this army Of
tramps is computed to have cost the
people il aims and food SIS. ooo. 600 per
annurn- Moreover, the money spent
brought no permanent relief, the va.
| grant horde growing larger and more
nenacing day by day. II was against
tins grsevous and sridiy-increzsing
eyil that society combined and man.
aged IN the coarse of years to develop
the thoroughly efficient system which
/ Is now found in operation throughout
the whole OF Germany except Bavaria
and Alsace-Lorraine.
! The first step taken was TO orraniss
IN towns and villages anti beggarv So
cieties. the members of which paid a,
certain yearly fee TO the society treas
ury- and agreed to give nothing 70 beg.
I gars who should apply at their doors.
| A sn.,! metallic disk, bearing the
name of the society. is fastened at tbs
| front door of each members house.
lhis tells the beggar that his appeal for
aims will be denied. aud that he wiz
be referred 10 the Office of the society,
where his ease viii hc carefully inveS-
hgated before relief is granted. The
society provides relief station. which.
is placed near the principal entrance
10 the towu--in the case of large
city there may be several of these sta.
tlons its snburbs-where, BY a few
| hours work. the destitute wayfarer
may earn a ticket which will en-
title him TO food and lodging az
the 'iierberge, or lodging house.
This house is esta blistied and sup
ported by the municipal or communal
government from the public funds IL.
Is plain country boarding housc.
! where wholesome food and clean beds
can he obtained. but no liquor. Its
maintenance is the price which the
community pays for exemption from
the tramp nuisance.
After passing night and obtaining
meals al the hcrberge, the 1agrsnt -
provided with \ ticket inscribed with
his name. age. birthplace and the
route that he intends to take in search
of work. IL hs wsnders far from that.
route he Is liza ole TO arrest by the FIRST
rural policeman whose precinct he en-
tiers, in which ease his card is taken
away. and he is locked up for sea-
son. to be dismissed with n reprimand
and another card, which will pass him
to the nearest herberge in the dirsc-
ton that he desires to follow. II hs
arrives there not later than two o'clocp
in the afternoon he will receive his
dinner. his afternoon work. supper,
bed and the next morning his break.
fast, together with new card
that will pass him on 70
the next herberge. allowing
time To seek for work along the way
and yet arrive at Q o'clock. Should ne
reach the lodging-house later than that
hour, he will, unless se can prove thai
he was detained by accident or sor,e
other good reason, get nothing, and
must shift for himself during 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
to buy "a dram of liquor. The Stats
tics O show that there were in
that wear / ,a55 relief stations and ss4
herbergex IN operation in Germany. sc
which ], o63, Cos breakfasts. 9z2. +ao din
ners, 1.sSi,s9i suppers and 2.22s 900
lodgings were provided.
There ia no Doubt that this part Of
the German machinery OF organized
charity performs ths work for which
il was devised. 10 relieves the towns
and villages from the drain and menace
Of fragrant medicancy. keeps the vsga-
bond class under police surveillance.
forces them 10 earn their food
and lodging, or 60 without both. and
BY keeping them constantly moving
from station TO station, prevents aggre-
CATION in gangs The monotony and
enforced regularity of each fore moons
walk soon render the life stale and
wearisome, and the tramp eagerly seeks
work as a means Of Yegaining his indie
pendence and escaping the CONSTANT
supervision to which his ticket exposes
him Speaking of the esfvct of this .ys-
tenn Of REFRESHING vasrancy. a. he has
observed ia In Frankfort and the vicin-
ity. Mr.. Mason, American consul-ren-
eral there, says that there Il PRACTICAL
" no indiscyiminat~ distribution of
slms, and few or no beggars or ped
dlers. except. soms MANNED or deforrned
persons who. under certain restrictions
are permitted to sell matches on the
street. In that portion o. Germany
there are apparently no tramps. either
in the urban or the rural districts. and
this Notwithstanding a generally-de-
pressed condition OF most indussYies-
~. Y. Sun.
Miss Simpson tainted when she
received a message just no~. Some
had news yyaz it, Mo- she saw the