The record-union., 1897-01-07
AN IMPRACTICABLE SCHEME.

Mr.. D. A Dague of the Santa Paula
Chronicle" is the author of a bill to
be introduced in the Legislature, in
tended to correct the tramp nuisance.
The intention is highly creditable and
the aim is in &. right direction, but
practically the proposed law would not
work. It would not only be unconstitu-
tional because conferring judicial pow
ers where they cannot be lodged, but
it would involve a scheme more costly
and damaging than any county could
possibly afford. AS the measure has
received the approval of a number of
prominent citizens and Journals and
will possibly be pushed, 1T musr have
critical attention.
Briefly stated the features OF the bill
are:
l. Supervisors are to appoint a Road
master in every district at So a day
upon public roads.
<. Whoever shows to the Supervisors
that he is homeless and destitute shall
be employed on the county farm or
county roads. be given three meals a
day and lodging, and be paid 30 cents
a day for nine hours work, out of the
district road fund.
3. The person so employed may
quit on three days notice.
4. The penalty for vagraRcy shall
hereafter be three months at hard labor
on the roads or county farm, or both.
5. Justices Of the Peace are to commit
convicted vagrants to the custody Of
the Roadmaster to execute sentence.
The vagrant is to be boarded and
lodged at county expense and paid 10
cents a day at the expiration of his
term The vagrant may be discharged
earlier on a showing made to the Super
visors that he is able to support him
self. has come TO property or has Sc
cured employment
6. Roadmasters are invested for the
purpose of the Act with the powers OF
police officers,
z. If vagranE is able bodied and re-
fuses to work, he is to be put into the
custody Of the Sheriff by the Road
master, who is to give him but one meal
ir every twenty-fours and keep him in
the County Jail ninety days, or until
ne agrees to work under the Roadmas-
ter, and such other punishment may be
applied as Is lawful now, or to be made
70. and he is to be docked whatever
money he may have earned.
g. Supervisors are to provide barracks
and lodging places in each road district
fer use Of the honorable unemployed
and convicted vagrants; provide trans
portation and otherwise do as is neces-
sary to carry out the proposed new law
They may transfer the workers from
one road district to another, or to OF
from the county farm.
The above is perfectly fair and very
fun synopsis of the bill. 1t really ought
TO need no other statement Of 1t to dis
close it's fInpract1cability.
1t assumes that roads are to be made
that are worth the name, under such a
faulty system 1t assumes what al
modern road builders know to be I'M
possible that good roads can be con-
struoted by fugitive labor and accord
ing to the ideas of local roadmasters
and Supervisor direction, regardless o.
Uniform system, application OF roae
machinery and the use OF approved
means. requiring In a certain degree
highly skilled labor.
It assumes that tools, materials anc
appliances are at hand at all tunes, II
all seasons, in all road districts, fol
economic road work. 1t classes ahe
works together the honorable poor ant
the willful degraded vagrant 1t In
wolves as many semt-conyicf camps al
there are road districts In the county
at heavy cost for maintenance y
guards transportation, etc. III makes
the penalty fox the female vagrant narS