The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-11-25
IS OVERRUN WITH TRAMPS
NEW HAVEN IS 4 WINTER RESORT
 FOR THAT GLASS OF PERSONS.

Views of Police Superintendent smith on the situatlon-strlngent Laws Favored. The city is completely infested and overrun with tramps who are In the majority of eases, sneak thieves as well, and the heads of the local police depart ment and organized charities associa- tions are trying to devise some means wherewith to combat this constantly increasing evil With the approach of winter this class of humanity flock into the cities to spend the cold months, and as result all kinds of thteVery and crime becomes largely increased during the winter months.
 These tramps not only will not work, but if refused assistance, become inso- lent and threaten all sorts of things to the persons who refuse them money. During the past week several instances of this nature have been reported to the police, but in each instance after the offender has succeeded in making his escape. Some radical measures, 1t would seem, will have to be adopted In dealing with them, and 1t is just this question which is now being agitated by those in authority Not only are the local authorities trying to devise some means whereby this constantly grow ing evil can be suppressed, but tn' other states as we'll an organized effort is being made to formulate some law for dealing with this class of despera- does.
 Superintendent of Police Treadwell Smith was seen yesterday in reference to the situation, and during the course of an interview said: "The tramp evil Is one of the greatest with which the police department has to contend, and at the same time one of the hardest to cope with successfully. This city is at the present time overrun with persons of this class, who believe that the world owes them living, and con- sequently will not work to secure it. These are the men who are doing all the sneak thieving and other similar crimes in this city, and unfortunately the police are almost powerless in the matter. It is certain that some radical measures will have to be adopted in dealing with this class, and the sooner such measures are adopted the better it will be for all parties concerned ex- cept, of course, the tramps.
 My own views on the subject coin eide entirely with those of the writer of the following article.'
 The superintendent then handed the reporter clipping from the Hartford Times of recent date, which was head ed Justice for Tramps," and is as fol- lows:
 In speaking of tramps little deffni- tion at the outset will prevent much confusion later. The word has come to mean distinct set of men who are de- termined not to work, who live by beg gary and thievery because they prefer that kind of life, who are brutal and filthy in their ways, and who are noth- ing but a pest wherever they go. These are the men who are properly called tramps now. There is no connection between them and poor men who want work and go from place to place to seek it. Yet most of the difficulty in dealing with the tramp problem comes from confusing these two classes.
 There is one infallible test. If rag ged, dirty applicant for charity wants
 
 not he is, and if he is tramp, the only proper place for him is where he shall be compelled to earn his own living or starve. The worst of him is that he puts honest poor men at a disadvant- age. He assumes their name and char acter, and every time he imposes on kindly people makes 1t harder for the man who is really unfortunate to ob- tain the help he ought to have.
 The practical inference from this is that every man who asks for relief should be put to the test at once, and dealt with according to the way 1t turns out. The state of Connecticut provides that tranlps may be sent to the state prison for not more than one year, and that tramps who carry weapons, or who willfully injure any person, may be committed to the state prison for not more than three years. Remembering what tramps are, as we have just ex- plained, is it reasonable to object to the strict enforcement of the law? They are men who deliberately plan to live off the community without co1.tribut- ing to it. While they refuse to do their share of the work that must be done it IS proper they SnOulQ nave no snare or the product; if they refuse to work they should be made to work. No unfortu- nate man need suffer as tramp, if a proper labor test is applied. This should be provided for by law, but it can be applied by any community that wishes to protect itself and do justice at the same time.
 The immediate effect of enforcing the law will be to drive tramps away from the place. This was the effect when the law was new and before it fell into the innocuous desuetude of the last few years As soon as this happens the unfortunate poor gain immensely. Not only is there more to be given them, but they are relieved of the stigma that comes of confusing them with profes- sional tramps. It is for such reasons as this that the police commissioners deserve commenda tion for their request to the chief of police to prosecute all tramps found in the city after Novem- Der 25. It is high time for such an or der when the number of lodgers at the station house has risen to fifty, and when they invade other places, public and private, in such numbers.
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