The herald., 1897-03-25
NO MORE MENDICANTS
r. A. DAGUE LUCIDLY EXPLAINS
THE NEW TRAMP BILL
Men Accepting Work to Be Known
as the Honorable Unemployed.
Board, Lodging and Wages

tramp law recently passed by the legis-
lature, which provides for the employ
ment OF the homeless and the unem-
ployed and the punishment of vagrants
has been spending several days past in
this city, visiting his brother, I. @.
Dague of South Main street.
He is very enthusiastic over the pas
sage of the bill, and briefly explained
it to Herald representative last night
my BILL said he, "is essentially an
emergency bill, and is intended to rem
der temporary relief for the great mass
of unemployed at present in the state.
There are now thousands Of destitute
men in the state, the great majority Of
whom are seeking in vain for employ
ment and are in a starving condition.
1t was with the intention of amelorating
the condition of these men that framed
the bill"
"Its object is to divide the state into
road districts which will correspond
with each supervisorial district. Under
the law, any able-bodied man can go to
the road district overseer and demand
employment, for which he will be board
| ed and lodged, and also receive 80 cents
| a day in cash, which is equal to about
| $40 q month, with board and lodging.
| When the man, so employed, finds that
| he can obtain a better situation, he is
allowed to terminate his engagement
with the road overseer at one days no.
| tice. During the time of his employment
he shall not be disgraced by arrest, and
| shall be known as one of the honorable
| unemployed.
IF a man is a vagrant from choice,
| preferring to beg or steal, and refuses
| this means OF gaining employment and
| an honest livelihood, then he shall be
| arrested and taken before justice or
| the peace. 1t is the duty of the justice
| TO sentence the man to labor on the
| public highways for 80 days. but for this
labor he shall be paid 10 cents day for
| each days actual service, the full
| amount to be paid over to him at the ex-
pira ton of his sentence. This Is some
| thing OF a departure from the present
| law. by which a vagrant lies IDLE In jan,
| getting his lodging ard food free, whlie
| the state receives no beneft from MS
| Incarceration"
| zone important feature of the new
| law, however, is that even this con
| victed vagrant, upon signifylng MS ue-
| sire to reform, while undergoing SEN
tence. is allowed to join the ranks OF
| the honorable unemployed, provided ne
| gives satisfactory evidence to the over
seer of the road district in which ne
happens to be that he really intends
raising himself from the condition OF
| a tramp.
"Thus you will see that there Is a con-
slant effort and incentive on the part
of this law to induce the vagrant classes
| To quit tramping and become industrl-
| ous citizens Under the operation OF
this law there will be no need OF any
further begging on the part of able
bodied men, because they will be in a
position to receive three square meas
lodging and 35 cents cash day for
their services"
Did not some of the labor union peo-
pie quite strongly oppose the passage
Of your bill, and If so, on what ground!
did they base their opposition?' asked
the reporter.
Mr.. Dague replied: "a great many
| representatives of labor unions are
strong friends of the bill. I, myself, am
| a member of the Knights of Labor. Some
| representatives of the labor unions, how
ever contend that the cash conpensa-
ton OF each man should be 81 instead
| of 35 cents a day. As this is an emer-
gency bill, 1t will have no tendency to
| lower wages in general, but rather have
the opposite effect, for the reason that
the state will furnish employment to
| thousands of surplus laborers not 9TH
| Si " isC CihPASy S0t thoE iSiAtON ihe siie%i y
| competition from the la Dor field. If Cali
fornia alone. in making this experiment
should pay 50 per day for labor on the
| highways, large numbers of farmers
| would abandon their farms and take
advantage Of 1t, while tens of thousands
of laborers from adjoining states and
the east would come in to avail thera-
selves of the offer. and the state treas
ury would be bankrupt in sixty days"
THE 35-cent wage provided In my bill
Is the minimum figure, while the super
visors of each county have the discre-
tionary power to pay more if the condi-
tion of their treasures justify 1t.
My bill Is essentially aB emergency
one, and became a law with the urlder-
standing it was of such a nature. 1t is
meant simply to provide a living and
| shelter to the thousands of unemployed
until times grow better and the men
have succeeded ip obtaining better pay
ing situations When that point is reach
ed there will be no further use for the
law. simply beceCse there will be no
more unemployed to provide for
Mr.. Dague is the editor of the Santa
Paula Chronicle, a native of Iowa and
a lawyer by profession. He is accom-
panied by his wife and daughter, Mrs
Myron D. Smith of Creston, Iowa. The
party are touring Southern California
and will leave in about ten days for San
| Francisco.