The Democratic advocate., 1907-07-26
Most of those Slain on Railroads
Tramps.

At the National Conference of Charities
and Corrections at Minneapolis recently Mr..
o. F. Lewis of New York read paper on
the 'Vagrancy Problem in the United
States, in which he said that American
railroads kill more railway trespassers every
year than the combined totals of passen-
gers and trainmen killed annually. Nor
do these striking figures show signes of de-
creasing from year to year. In five years
from 1901 to 1905, %, 964 trespassers
were killed on the American railroads in
comparison with 16, 243 employees and
only 1860 passengers. Thousands of vag-
rants use American railroads as an easy
means of transportation from city to city or
State to State. American vagrants are
not pedestrians.
Many railroads in Eastern States are
greatly troubled with vagrants. President
McCrea of the Pennsylvania Railroad re-
ports that the 900 vagrants arrested for
trespassing in 1906 are only small pro-
portion of the total number of vagrants con-
stantly travelling over that railroad Pres
ident Murray of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad says that trespassers make trouble
for trainmen and in train running. Acct
dents caused by them are not infrequent.
The robbing of cars, freight houses and
stations is practically of daily occurrence.
On some New York Central lines west of
Buffalo it seems impossible to keep vagrants
off freight trains. They are driven off pas
senger trains, but in some cases extra stops
must be made to unload them The a.
mount of loss from the theft of railroad
property and pilfering of freight cannot be
estimated.
The principal reason for the large num-
ber of Migrants is the lack of cooperation
between the railroads and the towns and
cities along the lines in prosecuting and
convicting vagrants. Railroads wish to
put the vagrants off at or near stations,
while towns are generally unwilling to stand
the expense of the prosecution and main
tenance of vagrants who have no claim upon
the town. Vice President Van Etten of
the Boston and Albany reports that the
laws are sufficient, but that the police have
no incentive to arrest these men. The
Pennsylvania Railroad says it receives little
or no assistance from local authorities; fire.
quently when taken before magistrate
vagrant is discharged or released from the
county Jail within day or two County
Commissioners claim it imposes too much
expense on counties to maintain vagrants
in iail at the expense of the tax payers
On the other hand, the Philadelphia and
Reading finds fairly ready cooperation, and
in New England the Boston and Main sus-
tains cordial relations with the towns along
the line in prosecuting vagrants.
President James j. Hill Of the Great
Northern Railroad states that ''it is now
the almost universal custom for the officers
before whom vagrants are brought in petty
cases to order them to leave town within
"a hours This rule merely passes man
on to the next village or town, which Ie-
peats the command. When all its neigh
bors are doing the same thing, the COM
munity receives exactly as much refuse as
it gets rid of. Most of those ordered to
move on take the railroad, which is made
the chief sufferer by this policy
The cost to society Of injured vagrants
is in the end enormous, because vagrants
frequently are rendered incapable of doing
any work, and, in consequence. go to tramp
ing or begging, spending their time be-
tween the road, the almshouse and the Jail.
Every charitable society knows of many
instances of persons permanently manned
by railroads who until the end of their lives
| will be largely dependent upon the public,
! being maintained either by individuals OF
| by institutions for the support Of the iindqi
gent.
The facts presented by Mr.. Lewis,
which he has gathered by corresponding
from leading officials of the different rail,
roads, show conclusively that the vagranc.
question is a serious one, not alone to tn
railroads, but to society. Because the cos
to society is so indirect and not general,
observed by the public, people in genera
have been Indifferent to the fact that va
grancy is a great drain upon towns, coun
ties and States. During the coming yea
efforts will be made throughout the coun
try to enlist the cooperation of railroads
State boards of charities, local charitabl
societies and individuals in obtaining MOI
adequate trespass laws and more adequat
enforcement Of these laws.