Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-22
Fewer Tramps and Paupers.

- The town OF DlSntOn, uOWH Oh SoPc
Cod, has just sold it's town poor house
at auction, the citizens finding 1t too
expensive to keep up such an establish
ment for one inmate, who. hereafter,
is to be boarded out. The announce
ment of this- unique auction sale leads
the Boston Traveller to comment upon
the disappearance of poor houses from
Massachusetts towns and it gives
list of no fewer than 25 Massachusetts
towns who have abandoned such mu-
nicipal establishments during the last
eight years. Moreover, two others
have been burned down and not re-
placed. The Traveller tells US that of
the 355 towns and cities in Massachu-
sets 15S are now without poor farms
or poor houses. Statistics of this ma
ture are not available in our own State,
but it would be of interest to have this
matter boxed up. Certainly there are
many of our Maine towns which now
have no poor farms, though every town
had one not many years ago
Commenting upon the disappearance
of the Massachusetts poorhouscs leads
the Boston Traveller to discuss the
last report of the state board of char
tiles in that state, which shows that
the tramp problem is also growing
beautifully less prominent. The last
report of this board shows that 2G,224
tramps made application for relief in
various Massachusetts cities and towns
during the year. This does not mean
that there were 1924 different individ-
uals, for many of them recorded over
and over at various places. But while
there were 1924 applications i'll 1907
the number of applications in 1891, or 10
years earlier was 232, SAC. The per cap
ila cost of caring for the tramp has in
creased as his numbers decreased. In
1878 almost quarter Of d million APP
plcations for tramp lodgings cost the
state $50, III, or Is cents each; in 1907
the $4,000 cost the state $19,568, or "A
cents each. New York state proposes
to build a farm colony to take care Of
the tramps. The state Board of Char
tiles estimates that the tramps in the
state now cost the taxpayers $1,000 900
year for correctional and charitable
institutions. Massachusetts cured it's
tramp problem by saying that any
tramp able to work should give some
equivalent for his food. The tramps
treated today in Massachusetts, as a
rule, are sick men. chronically starved
and incurably neurasthenic. AS gen.
erll rule it is true that their condition
is due to drink or other excuses, but
once man gets in this condition it is
little comfort to lecture him about it.
Most of these tramps, because they are
beyond the ability to do work, must
be cared for
Denmark claims to have solved the
tramp problem in it's own way. The
bcggar or tramp when found is arrest
ed and taken to a settlement, where he
becomes really a patient; studied care
fully, appropriately treated and given
only such work as he is able to do.
AS soon as they recover and are re-
leased. positions are found for them
Some prefer to remain and their earn
ings accumulate, and the incurables
must remain perforce. Denmark claims
that this system is self-supporting, and
has ended mendicancy and vagabond-
age, and recommends it's adoption gen
orally, not only to restore wrecks to
usefulness. but as q matter of economy
to the state.