The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-30

that Of Great Britain, but one point II
worth noting. that's Seattle cannot afford
TO taxa suy pusiic steps that wouid draw
the unemployed from ell over the state
and this Coast. for that would produce
local congestion that would break down
any scheme Of relief
In Germany ss one time IA army OF
tramps marched begging from town 20
town. terrifying the rural commnntfiesl
The support Of this army Of tramps coss
the people in alma and food Si5.oo0.oo per
snnum. The money thus spent brought
no permanent relief, the vagrant Idle
growing larger and more menacing day
BY day. Finally. thoroughly sfneiens
system Of relief was organized and put 10
operation in the whole Of Germany, savs
Bavaria and Aisace-Lorraine. The hrst
step taken was TO organize IN towns
and villages anti-beggsry societies, the
members of which paid certain
yearly fee TO the society treasury.
and agreed TO give nothing to besgars who
should apply at their doors. A small me-
tallic disk, bearing the name of the society,
IL fastened at the front door Of each MEM
ber's house. This tells the beggsr that his
appeal for aims viii be denied. and that he
viii be referred to the Office of the society.
where his case will be carefully invests
gated before relief is granted. The society
provides a relief station, which Is
placed near the principal entrance TO
the town-in the case of o large city
there may be several of these stations
outside Its suburbs-whsrc, by . few
hours work, the destitute wayfarer may
earn Q ticket which will entitle him TO
food and lodging at the "Herberge," or
lodging house. This house is established
and supported by the municipal or COM
munal government from the public funds.
II Is plain country boarding house.
where wholesome food and clean beds can
be obtained. but no liquor. Its main
tenance Is the price which tho commu-
nifty psys for exemption from the tramp
nuisance.
After passing q night and obtaining
meals at the herberge. the vagrant is pro-
vided With Q ticket inscribed with his
name, age, birthplace and the route that
he intends to take in search OF work. II
he wanders far from that route he Is liable
70 arrest by the FIRST rural policeman whose
precinct he enters, in which case his card
IL taken away and he II locked up for q
season. to be dismissed with . reprimand
and another card, which will pass him to
the nearest herberge in the direction that
he desires to follow. II he ar
rives there not later than o'clock
in the afternoon he will receive his
dinner, his afternoon work, supper, bed.
and the next morning his breakfast, to-
gether with new card thar will pass him
on to the next herberge. allowing time to
seek work along the way and yet arrive by
o'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 during
the night. In this way a man
can walk over almost the whole
Of Germany without ever being desti-
tute Of food or shelter, and without ever
having money enough to buy dram Of
liquor. The statistics of 1890 show that
there were in that year 1857 relief stations
and 364 herberges In operation in Germany,
at which l.662, Cos breakfasts. s72. 400 din
'ners. 1871 sol suppers and 2. 223.0o0 iodg-
ings were provided.
Under this system of organized charity
there Is no indiscriminate distribution of
aims and few or no beggars or peddlers,
except some manned or deformed persons
who are permitted to sell matches on the
street. For this reason in Germany there
are no trsmps either in the city or rural
districts, notwithstanding the generally
depressed condition of most industries.