Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-01

sistance" for the bona 1de worker when he
takes the road; and
8. For habituaI Migrants the establish
ment of walled-in labor colonies
Magistrates are to be empowered TO send
habitual Migrants to labor colonies for
from six months to three years They will
bear a considerable resemblance. 10 the
Chinese compounds In South Africa which
have been so much discussed lately. Ger
tainly they would not become popular In
situations with professional tramps There
will be no coddling in them. For the occu-
pants a scientific subsistence dietary has
been drawn up which, it is estimated, will
cost only 90 cents head per week.
1t IS proposed to make the labor colonies
self-supporting. The labor IS not 10 be re-
stricted to agricultural work only, for that
might not pay and might be interrupted by
Indictment weather The inmates will DO
given opportunities for earning small sums,
and by demonstrating that they have con-
quered the shirk-work habit and the born
tired feeling may obtain an early release
from the cOlony-or compound.
The casual yagrants"-the class that
have not yet become habi+uai loafers and
viii do an occasional honest days work
will be detained for two days and viii
ceive n more generous diet, but Will have to
work for their meals. On their discharge
they will be given sufficient food for q mid
day meal.
The genuine worker tramplng is 10 be
granted a way book by the police, giving his
personal description, his usual trade his
reasons Tor wishing to travel and his pro-
posed destination, and containing his sigma
ture, and possibly his finger prints, for tho
purpose OF testing identification. It Will
contain spaces on which can be stamped
The name OF zach casual ward visited.
With thu book" says the committee.
the man would go to the casual ward and
be entitled to a nights lodging. supper and
breakfast, and. after performing two hours
work to help to pay for his food and lodg-
ing he should be free TO leave
The name of the next ward on the direct
lie of his Sbnnid ba len a
<ook. and IL he arrived at that place he
should be treated in the same manner.
For him there should practically be
detention. and he should generally have bet
ter treatment and accommodation than the
ordinary Migrants and be kept as far as
possible apart from them. And it should
be open to him to remain at the ward for
another night If he desires a rest on his
Journey
The books will enable the public to dis
criminate between their possessors the
work seelsers-and the horde OF vagabonds
who simply roam about the country to
escape work and live by petty thefts and
uendicancy. That In turn will operate TO
check the indiscriminate giving of aims,
which. more than anything else. creates va
grancy. Sir Eric Buchanan. who has made
a study of the question. estimates that in
London alone 100000 is given away every
year to beggars.
The proposed plan OF dealing with va
grancy is in Its essential features similar to
that which has proved so successful in Ger
many and Denmark. The German workers
right to tramp" in search of work is recog-
nized by the state, and he has also the right
to demand relief his travels when he Is
without means. But by the German penal
code vagabonds, beggars and those who re-
fuse offers of work which they could per-
form can be imprisoned or fined. COM
PEELED TO work In state institutions where
they are carefully separated from free la
borers.
In Denmark there Is a special class OF
penal workhouse for the professional va
grant. When he Is caught he must earn his
dinner every day before he eats II, and 1t is
not a luxurious meal even then. He is fur
Their confined in this institution for a period
of six months and If by that time he does
not show signs of amendment he can be
placed under a yet severer regime. The
mere existence of the penal worlshouse. it
has been found, Is sufficient to put a stop
to the vagrant nuisance. thus setting large
sums free for the relief and assistance of
the really deserving. Thus Denmark has
solved the tramp problem as John Burns in
tends IL shall be solved in England.