The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-25
CHARITY TRANSPORTATION
Use of Telegraph Code to Stop lmpOSterS-HOw Trunk Line Association Grants Charity Rates-Kinds of Cases Helped by Transportation
w. F. PEERSONS.

w. F. PEERSONS.
 Superintendent Charity Organization Society New York City.
 Gxeclusive Service The Survey Press
 Bureau9
 To check the custom of "beating
 their way so much practiced by va
 grants, the Trunk Line Association
 has this year taken a most important step. Reduced rate charity passage
 on almost all the important lines east
 of Chicago is now granted only to
 beneficiaries of charitable agencies
 Which observe a carefully prepared
 code of rules that have devised to
 govern the transportation of destitute
 persons.
 These rules represent the practical agreement of many experienced char ity workers in all parts of the country.
 They were adopted by the National Conference of Charities and Correction
 some seven years ago, to prevent the
 useless squandering of public and pri- vate funds and to stop the encourage ment of vagrancy by giving transpor- tation to those who have no surety of employment or other benefit from the change.
 The adoption of these provisions by an ever increasing number of public and private agencies Cat present near ly $50 observe them) has greatly di- unfinished the abuse of charity trans portation and the action of the Trunk Line Association will undoubtedly cause a much more general compli- ance.
 In the old days applicants were con- tinually asking for railroad tickets. A man stranded. let us say, in New England was apt according to his story to have a promise of work in Cincin- nati, St. Louis, or Baltimore, if he COJ1l6 there Commonly
 municipal authorities or the charitable agency would feel that they could not afford to send him the way. Yet un- less they got rid of him as soon as possible'' they were burdened with his support. So a ticket to the next town was bought and the case passed along. 1t was an easy way of shifting respon- sibility. The next town did the same, so that there was about an even ex- change.
 If the applicant really had chance at his destination, he often became a confirmed vagrant before he was able to win his way there by slow steps from town to town. In the case of inpostures the practice merely en- couraged the impossible and compli- cated the tramp problem. Where a conscientious investigation was made and only deserving cases helped with transportation, the community or char
 
 ground for the cast off problems of it's less scrupulOus neighbors. At present in the more progressive cities very different plan is followed.
 The first precaution taken is to be sure that the applicant is really un-
 able to pay regular fare. This is but common prudence. Further it is use less anyone to far off city unless
 his condition and prospects will be
 substantially improved. Generally speaking, a man in good health, if no one is dependent upon him, is not given transportation. The Joint Ap- plication Bureau in this city has at present standing requests for men to work on various engineering and con- tracting jobs. We are unable to fill the positions. So an able bodied single man is offered a chance to earn money or to walk to his destination. If he is willing to work here, there is no guarantee that he will do better some where else.
 In many cases, mechanic comes to
 our office complaining that in his trade here everything is slack. Men are not being hired. But he has heard from friend that work is plenty in certain n-place, perhaps Buffalo, and he is sure he could get job there. Have you a position promised?''
 .'No, but I could get job all right"
 Have you any letters of introduction that would help you to get work there? "No, but heard from friend that they want lots of men in my line.'
 Docs he work at your trade? Would he be able to give you any definite help?" He's a plumber but he knows they need brick layers" In a case of this nature it would be foolish to spend money to send him 400 miles
 to an uncertain possibility of work. We can use the money for cases where it will be of positive and certain help instead of probably burdening another community.
 But suppose that workman who
 left home to get employment in this city fails and becomes stranded. To reunite him and his family often re- lieves two communities of the burden
 of supporting indigents, for his family is very probably dependtn owing to the mans failure in the strange city. The society to which the man applies verifies his story by telegraphing to his former home, for which code is
 used. Arrangements are also made by telegraph for tiding over the man and his family at his old home until he be- gins to be self supporting.
 Other problems for which transpor- tation is an obvious solution are where young. boys and men or young girls lured by the attractions of a great city have left their homes All that is usually necessary to save them from continued destitution and bad influences is to send them back. Be- fore this is done care must be taken to be sure that they will not become dependents in the town to which it is proposed to send them. The family may be unable to support the boy or he may have a reputation at home that would go far to prevent his get ting work.
 It is not sufficient to know merely that the facts given by the applicant are correctly stated His judgment of the best course to pursue is not conclusive For instance, a young man stranded in a large city asks to be sent home to his mother. On it's face it would seem to be the very ! best thing to do. Upon inquiry, how
 ever it may develop that he has left home several times. After wander ing till he was tired, he has always
 applied to be sent home and this may have been done several times. In found for the boy and he has been induced to save his fare home and so
 realize that he had no right to force others to give him free transportation home whenever he wishes.
 The adoption of the cooperative pol icy in handling charity transportation has resulted in considerable economies.
 The old method of buying freely tick cts to the next town, bred vagrants. One city expended $1.500 a year in this way. After deciding to buy tick cts to the final point of destination or not at all, the expenditure was only $500.
 Now that the Trunk Line Associa-