The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-03-16
PRES. M'CREA's GREAT SCHEME

James S. Mecrea, president OF the Pennsylvania railroad
system, has begun an agitation OF the tramp evil. lie bases his
appeal upon humanitarian considerations, and not on the an
noyanee OF a railway man at the e~verpresent hobo stealing a
ride. So he has written to Orlando +. Lewis. OF the New York
charity organizations, urging assistance in putting a stop TO
the widespread evil OF trespaSsng ON railway property, and the
CHASTITY roll Of deaths and maimings from IT, The fact that in
two years his railway killed 1870 people who were t%respassing,
gives McCrea a right to speak out.
a part OF McCreas remedy consists in keeping a card in
deS Of tramps. and a system Of keeping them IN prison. Con
sidercd purely as a matter of discomfort, most OF us would
rather be killed by one OF McCreas trains than TO be put IN
prison permanently. Tramps, no doubt. feel the same way
about it. Humanftaranism being founded ON the desire to
decrease human suffering, it is difficult to see the true humani
tarianism in this wclhmeant attempt to stop vagraney and
train Tipping" by filling The jails with the hoboes.
Once a weltmeaning and earnest worker, with no great
amount OF sense. was set to work to pump out the e%enterboard
well OF a oatboat He pumped and pumped and pumped, but
the water remained at the same level lie wondered at the
amount Of water yielded BY so small a well. lie did not know
that il went right down into the ocean, and that he had been
trying to drain the Atlantic by pumping il into itself
McCreas scheme will succeed, he doubtless thinks, by
making the hobos life SO disagreeable that he will 60 20 work
But there are now more men willing TO work than there are
Jobs for. II all the tramps became all at once work crazy, they
would only shove others into idleness as fast as they got jobs
Mecrea would pump dry the ocean Of Unemployment by either
pouring it back into itself. or boting it up in iahs
Neither plan will work.
Beggary is an institution in all nations in which oppor-
tunties to work are fenced up and monopoiized. We may as
well make up our minds to our tramps As a permanent class
like The Italian iazxaroni and the British paupers-or VIC must
free opportunities for seif-emptoyment.
When land was free in America there were no uamps.
McCrcats railway system is one OF the concerns which
holds millions OF acres OF coal lands out Of use. paying only.
nominal taxes on them as waste lands" II these lands were
taxed into use. many thousands more people than now would
find employment. and to that extent the tramp evil would be-
gin to be abated.
M over the nation lands arc held out 81 use for specula-
tive purposes-agncultural lands. mining lands. city lands. III
they were so heavily taxed that they would have to be used oF
n.a~ Sc - tRnam whn xonufI tN tb~pt ace uhoutH hay@ a e.
newed era Of building aud a revival OF industry. Gradually the
tramp evil would be cured. The tFamps stock IN trade Is the
probability that he really cannot get work Fix things 50 that
all can get work II they desire. and then MeCreas proposal viii
not be such a shock TO ones sense Of justice. The tramp IS a
man out Of work. He has in many cases assumed idleness as a
profession. But as long as many must be out OF work. he who
adopts that profession helps ease the competition on those who
still struggle. The tramp is an industrial safety valve.