The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-07
llr.Ieness alone ls without hope; work
earnestly at anything; you viii ny
degrees learn to work at almost all
things. There Is endless hope IN
work. -CARLYLE.
The Predatory Fee System.

The Predatory Fee System.
'rhe fec system Of Virginia, which The
y Times Dispatch has so often denounced,
has reached an acute stage in this COM
munty. Several days ago five marines
left barracks in Norfolk under shore
leave and wandered to Richmond on a
sightseeing tour. They took a notion
IA to visit the National Cemetery at Seven
Pines, intending. as they allege, to re-
a turngt barracks the following day. On
their way they We're met by regular
Il county policeman who came to Rich
rnond and reported the case to NJ. S.
Angle al special county policeman. An
gle went after the men. found them on
the road, placed them under arrest, and
brought them to Richmond. They were
taken before Justice of the Peace Meyer
Angle father of Mr.. NJ. S. Angle, and
committed to Jail as Migrants. For this
public service the special policeman re-
ceiyed about FIVE dollars in fees and the
Justice of thes peace as much more for
issuing warrants, trying the men and COM
hitting them TO prison. The Virginia
statute designates as Migrants:
l. All persons who shall unlawfully
return into any county or corporation
whence they have been legally removed.
Y 2 All persons WHO, not having where
with 10 maintain themselves and their
families, live idly and without employ
s51.ent. and refuse to work for the usual
end common wages given other laborers
4. .r theSlike work in the place where they
siss
Y 9. Persons wandering oil. stroling about
Mn idleaess who are able TO work and
\ have no property to support them.
4, Persons leading an idle, immoral or
pro;llsate life, etc.
5. All atle-bodied persons found beg
I, gins for living.
6. All persons who shalt come from
any place without this Commonwealth
ITO any place within i, and shall be
found lettering or residing therein. and
n shall follow no labor. trade. occupation
33or business. and having no visible means
of subsistence, and can give no reason
Z able account of themselves, or their bust
ness in such place.
I. All persons having "a fixed abode
who have no visible property to support
them and who live by stealing or by
& trading or barterlng stolen property.
r s. All persons who are able to work
and who do not work, hut hire out their
minor children and live upon their
wages.
i is clear that these men, who were
regularly enlisted marines Of the United
States Navy. wao' receive the usual com
pensation forr their services, who were
in this community on vacation under
leave, according to their own account
2 cannot be adjudged Migrants by any rea-
sonable construction of the act above
quoted. Yet they were arrested and
committed to jail under the Vagrant act,
sent to prison handcuRed, with an order
from the magistrate to detain them I'M
ii! they could give bail for their good
behavior.
The officers who arrested and convicted
them received fees for the service, and
s # Judge Scott, of the Circuit Court. had
not ordered their immediate discharge,
the tax payers would have paid for their
keep at the rate OF s1,25 per day until
their terms had expired, for It was mani
testify impossible for strangers In such
situation to furnish the security which
Magistrate Angle required
But this is not all. Had the men been
detained for ten days or more. under
the regulations OF the Navy, they would
have been ndjudged deserters; and the
person reporting as such would have been
Instructed to bring them to barracks Mt
the governments expense; and upon de-
livery, such person would have received
q reward of $40 in each case. AS for the
mon they would have been dishonorably
discharged from the service. courtmar-
tailed and sentenced TO a term in prison.
s4f This be the law, It cannot he changed
too soon, for II is obviously susceptible
Of gross and outrageous abuses.
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