The sun., 1908-12-25
BREAK STONES FOR MEALS
CITY NOW SITTING WANT
WORKS FROM WON'T WORKS.
The Roads OF Blaekwell's leland Benefit
ing by the New stene Breaking
Colony Recruited From Whosoever
WIN at the Municipal Lodging House.


Colony Recruited From WhOs0eveI
WIN at the Municipal Lodging House
Pending the action Of the Legislature
on his bill for the establishment Of State
farms to deal with the hobo problem
Commission Robert W. Hebberd OF the
Department OF Public Charities has
started on Blackwelrs Island doaters'
as those contemplated in the measure
that he hopes to see passed at Albany.
His scheme is to make all those apply
ing at the Municipal Lodging House to
do half days work for full days care
and then to allow them to spend the re-
mainder Of their day in search for work.
The new experiment began on Monday.
Out OF the 800 guests Of the Municipal
Lodging House, Mr.. Hebberd chose
ten men to 60 over to Blackwell's Island
and justify tho two meals and nights
lodging they had received by working
out the equivalent on the stone heap.
No oompulsion was put upon the men,
three Of whom promptly reneged. The
others went over broke stone all the fore
noon. came back for their luncheon and
spent the rest Of the day hunting for
jobs. The next day twenty men went
over in addition to the seven of the day
before. On Wednesday forty men were
taken. and yesterday out Of fifty con-
scripts thirty seven did the stunt. After
the boat had sailed there were four more
volunteers. To-day Mr.. Hebberd will
test the sincerity OF those who proher
themselves by calling for recruits before
the boat starts.
The only material reward the men get
for their labor is the consciousness tnat
they have returned to the city full value
received for the two meals and lodging
they have already enjoyed. plus an addi-
tional meal at noon. In addition. the
ruling that any applicant who comes
for relief to the Municipal Lodging House
more than three times NAV be committed
as vagrant Is suspended in their favor
As the scheme is now worked the men
are taken care Of for a week. At the
end of that time il thev have not yet
found job they must take their chances
of being committed for vaRrancy along
with the other habitual recipients Of the
city bounty.
Meantime Commissioner Hebberd ex-
poets great things for the roads OF the
island from his new scheme. There
are now on the island about five miles
of road, all of which are in a disreputable
condition. The stone that these men
break will be used TO restore the cause
WAYS in a manner which the ordinary city
appropriation will not allow.
II Mr.. Hebberd's bill for State farms
goes through the Legislature this tempo
rary stone breaking colony will be con-
5o,ssdated with the larger enterprise. |
At present the prospects for Mr, Hob
berd's bill look very bright. Three Of
New York Central. the Erie and the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western,
have personally assured Mr.. Hebberd |
of their sympathy with the purpose of
the bill {and have promised their active |
support The railroads are interested
BY reason OF the fact that II the farms
which the railroads now suffer from the |
Of tramps will In large meas
ure be abolished. The drainage on the
IL appears, comes not only |
from robberies which the tramps commit |
and which are estimated at S25 .O00. 200 |
the occasional deaths which. occur during |
their surreptitious travels. Most Of the |
railroads in New York now have private /
for the burial Of tramps who |
are killed while taking ride ON the brake /
beams and this expense alone is very |
heavy. Sometimes, moreover, the local
Coroner discovers one OF these bodies,
and the resulting expense to the railroad
is not less than 500 O case
II Commissioner Hebberd's bill passes.
On the other hand, these tramps will
be at once picked up and confined to a
state farm until they have been taught
low to earn livelihood. 80
The tramps will be gathered in in two
gays One is by the agency Of a State
police, which the bill. il passed, will create
or the purpose Of enforcing the law with /
citation to vagrancy and habituaI drunk I
,nness. Others win be sent away at the
Instance of the officers OF the Municipal
Lodging House. BY the time the bill
yoes into effect there wull be two Of these
in this city. The new Muni-
,ipal Lodging House at Twenty fifth
treet and East River, which will be ready
or opening in month, will make especial
for the rigorous elimina-
ion Of the professional hobo With
lin out Of the way the city will be able
o accommodate in it's two lodging houses
bout 1900 of the honestly poor, and II
. anticipated that these provisions win
AXE care Of the floating population for
bout ten years to come, The new lodg-
M house will be Of six stories. built OF
rick and stone. freproof throughout
nd capable Of lodging 1000 persons.
he new fumigating plant. which costs
20 900, in expected to save the city 81 .000.-
90 yearly by preventing the spread OF
isease. |,