The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-06-15
.TRAMPS
DON'T TRAMP
Such is the Conclusion of o.
f. Lewis.
RAILROADS COMPLAIN
~ --
Hoboes are an Expensive
Luxury.
More Tramps and Tresspassers
Than Passengers and Trainmen
are Killed Annually.

At the National Conference of Char
tiles and Corrections at Minneapolis
on Friday June 14th, Mr.. o. f. Lewis
of New York read a paper on the
"Vagrancy Problem in the United
States in which he said that Amer
lean railroads kill more railway tres
passers every year than the combined
totals of passengers and trainmen
killed annually. Nor do these strik-
ing figures show signs of decreasing
from year to year. In five years, from
1901 to 1905, 23.964 trespassers were
killed on American railroads, In COM
parison with 16,243 employees, and on
/ Ily 1850 passengers. Thousands Of va
grants use American railroads as an
easy means of transportation from
city to city or State to State. Amer
lean vagrants are not pedestrians.
Many railroads in eastern states are
greatly troubled with vagrants. Pres
ident McCrea of the Pennsylvania
Railroad reports thrt the 800 vagrants
only a small proportion Of the total
number of vagrants constantly travel
ing over that railroad. President Muir
ray Of the Baltimore & Ohio Ranilroad
says that transpassers make trouble
for trainmen and in train-running.
Accidents caused by them are not in
frequent. The robbing of cars, freight
houses and stations is practically Of
daily ocurrance. On some New York
Central lines west of Buffalo IL
seems impossible TO keep vagrants off
freight trains. They are driven off Of
passenger trains, but in some cases
extra stops must be made to unload
them. The amount Of loss from theft
Iof railroad property and pilfering OF
freight cannot be estimated President
wv. II. Truesdale of the Delaware,
Lackawanna & Western reports that
road to be much troubled by vagrants
who steal rides; the Delaware G. Hud-
son is similarly troubled in spring
and fall. The New York Central &
Hudson river reports that 30 per cent
police work has to do With vagrants.
They steal rides, annoy train crews,
commit thefts, interfere with train
Isignals, place distractions on the
tracks, and stone trains.
The principal reason for the large
number of vagrants Is the lack Of CO.
Operation between the railroads and
the towns and cities along the lines
in prosecuting and convIcting va
Igrants off at or near stations, while
towns are generally unwilling to
stand the expense of the prosecution
and maintenance of vagrants, who
have no claim on tie town. ViceLpres-
lident Van Etten of the Boston & Al
lbany reports that the laws are Buf-
.ficient, but that the police have no in
centive to arrest these men. The
Pennsylvania Railroad receives little
or no assistance from local authprit-
ies; frequently when taken before a
magistrate vsgrant is discharged or
released from county jail within a
day or two; county commissioners
claim II imposes too much expense on
counties to maintain vagrants In Jail
at the expense of the taxpayers. On
the other hand the Philadelphia &
Reading finds fairly ready co-opera.
tion and in New England, the Boston
& Maine sustalns cordial relations
with the towns along the Line in pro-
scouting vagrants. The Erie has es-
tablished little or LJ cooperation. On
the Michigan Central 1t is found hard
to cooperate because of the expense
. Second ViceIPresident A. j. Culver OF
the Delaware & Hudson makes ths
valuable suggestion that the cost OF
the prosecution and maintenance oi
vagrants should be a State charge in.
stead of town charge.
President James J. Hill of the Great
Northern Railroad states that cit IL
now the almost universal custom fol
the officers before whom vagrants are
\ brought in petty cases TO order then
to leave town within "a hours. This
K rule merely passes man on to the
next village or town, which repeats
the command. Wren all its neighbol
are doing the same thing, the com
munity receives exactly as much re-
2 fuse as 1t gets rid of. Most of those
y ordered TO move on take the railroad
is made the chief sufferer by
Y this policy"
; The cost TO railroads from vagranti
injured or crippled varies very much
lThe Baltimore G Ohio states thar
! through it's regular crops of surgeonl
and physicians the company extends
such immediate attention to the in
jured as common humanity impels
without distinction as to the circum
stances of the unfortunate. When hos
pital treatment is Imperative, and no
! lextended by the authorities Il ls no
> withheld because OF expense TO the coI