The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-25
.ENGLAND TO GRAPPLE.
WITH TRAMP NUISANCE
Burns Plan for Clearing the Country Of Its Horde
Of Professional Vagrants-lf They Won't Work Life
Will Be Madea Burden to Them.

days and will receive more generous
diet. but will have to work for their
meals On their discharge they will be
Credentials for Honest Tramp.
The genuine worker tramping is to
be granted waybook by the police,
giving his personal description, his
usual trade, his reasons for wishing to
travel and his proposed destination, and
containing his signature, and possibly
his finger prints for the purpose of
testing Identification. It will contain
spaces on which, can be stamped the
name Of each casual ward visited. =
"Withi this BOOK said the commit
tee, the man would 60 to the casual
ward and be entitled to a night s lodg-
ing, supper and breakfast, and, after
performing two hours work to help to
pay for his food and lodging, he should
be free to leave. - .e.'. .@ F.. f. .srr
tsThe name of the next ward on the
direct line of his route should be en-
tered in the book, and if he arrived at
that place he should be treated in the
| same manner. ~ 49, '-.' <-.
''For him there should practically be
no detention, and he should generally
have better treatment and accommoda-
ton than the ordinary vagrant 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.' II
These books will enable the public
to discriminate between their possessors
the work seekers-and the horde of
vagabonds who simply roam about the
country to escape work and live b.
petty thefts and mendicancy. That il
turn will operate to check the indis
criminate giving Of aims which, NOR.
than anything else, creates vagrancy
Sir Eric Buchanan, who has made ;
study of the question, estimates that il
London alone 100000 is given away
every year to beggars. ,...
Reform Plan Tried Elsewhere.
The proposed plan Of dealing will
, vagrancy is in it's essential feature
similar to that which has proved s.
successful in Germany and Denmark
The German worker s right to tramp
in search of work is recognized by tn
; state, and he has also the right to de
mand relief on his travels when he i
W1LnOuC means. buI Dy In6 0eT1nal
penal code, vagabonds, beggars, am
j, those who refuse offers of work whicl
); they could perform, can be imprisone
!, or fined, or compelled to work in stat
institutions, where they are CAREFUL,
separated from free laborers.
In Denmark there is a. special elias
, Of penal workhouse for the professions
vagrant. When he is caught, he mus
: earn his dinner every day before h
t eats it and it is not luxurious mes
k even then. He is further confined i
t this institution for period Of 81
:. months, and if by that time he does nc
s sshow signs: of amendment. he can h
j. placed under a yet severer regime. I'll
e mere existence Of the penal workhous
d |Sit: has been found, is sufficient to p,
g a stop to the vagrant nuisance, thu
setting large sums free for the relic
IS and assistance Of the really deservin
i Thus Denmark has solved the tram
It problem as John Burns intends it sha
o be solved in England. ..''~s