The Washington herald., 1907-09-23

hGmeulcS lOT the Tramp Evil
That the everlasting tramp problem
should occupy the attention Of railroad
men ana charitable organizations az a
dme when the cry the country over IS
for more workers is one of the anomalies
of our economic life. Mr.. Powderly tells
us that a million men can find employ
ment in the United States, yet the army
Of tramps is SO numerous that railroad
managers are making especial efforts to
protect their properties from depreciation
by Migrants, and a national vagraucy
committee has been formed to deal with
the problem on its humanitarian side.
Some striking facts have been adducrd
TO show the Importance Of the tramp
evil 10 the railroads. Thousands Of
tramps are killed annually on American
transportation lines. During the five
years ending with 1905 nearly 24,OO0 tres
passers were killed, or more than the
number Of trainmen and passengers killed
in the same period. OF these 2i,00) tres
iassers Il is estimated that one-half 20
three-fourths were tramps. The Pennsyl-
vania Railroad figures that tramps oc-
casion a loss 10 American railroads Of at
least $25.GO0o00 annually.
Little progress has been made by local
authorities in dealing vita the tramp
nuisance. The correctional measures taxi
en- are as often as not a direct encour-
agement of the evil they are designed TO
prevent. Jails and locl1ups are Il place
Of refuge for the hobo. one county PEN
itentiary was described by Orlando +.
Lewis. I'm an address at the recent meet
ing Of the National Prison Association,
as a winter vacation resort for tramps.
As few local jails provide work for their
inmates. the short sentences imposed on
Migrants have no terrors. Municipal
lodging houses and soup kitchens. the
Ieniency of the police, and the beneyo-
lence Of the householder all contribute to
the ease by which the wanderer may live
without work. Mr.. Lewis finds that our
present correctional methods err In not
being sufficiently repressive to the va
grant by intention" while they are mot
sufficiently helpful 90 the occasional va
grant. or 10 the honest wayfarer seeking
work" He suggests the following re-
medal proposals:
"Able-b0died vagTunts must work OF be impis-
oned az hard labor The sentences Il Migrants
should be cumulative Towns lodging Migrants
should provide for them a separate house, or
they are lodged al the almshouse, separate and
distinct quarters. Migrants should not be lodged
in police stations OF town l0ck-uus. a municipal
IodrucAouse should be established in an cities
having a yaEraucy problem Migrants trespassing on
railroads should be arrested and imprisoned at hard
labor. Greater cooperation is necessary between
towns and railroads in prosecuting vsgranis- The
costs q the prosecution and maintenance Of va
grants should be made a state charge. At least
ore compulsory labor colony f1r hsbitual Migrants.
with indeteminate sentence. should be established
In each State In each community there should DE-
the chance for the y1uaut 20 earn by wors-test
Dis temporary carr IN lodsins and meals
The essential feature Of all these is
that the vagraut must be compelled 70
work. Nothing should be free TO him. Il DE
will not work. then let him starve. A
Spartan remedy, some may think, but the
only effective one. Nor would there be any
real hardship IN it If work We're provided
/ In labor colonies, as Mr.. Lewis thinks
should be done. Compulsory labor is
something rather abhorreut 20 American
individUaIism. but surely il would De bet
ter than the encouragement Of hOrdes OF
tramps 90 wander up and down the
countryside, trespassing on railroads and
/ other property, becoming charges on jails
and workhouses. and threatening uupro-
/ tected women And If 20 the provision Of
hard labor for habitual Migrants there
should be added a general determination
/ on the part of individuals not to as
/ sist any obvious hobo. the army OF
tramps would undoubtedly show a con-
siderable dtminution.