Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-25

ell0y. : 1t further requests All persons
not only To discourage. begging by de-
Ginning to give food or money TO beg
CARS, but also to report all cases of
begging TO the nearest police station.
In addition to posting up these pa-
cards, the Surrey authorities have
printed no less than 100,o 900 handbills
for distribution. Everybody within the
county now knows that, If he gives a
meal 10 a beggar, he Is really feeding
him twice, inasmuch as he had already
! provided for his needs through the
! rates or local taxes.
/ To make matters worse, from the
tramp's point of view, several boards
of guardians in Surrey are now maxi
ing it a rule to discharge no casuals
on Sunday morning. If that would
normally be the time for their release,
they are detained in the ward day
longer. AS Sunday usually gives beg
sars their richest harvest, this rule
has provoked many and vehement
maledictions.
The way ticket" system, when
once started, has spread rapidly by
it's own impulse. One of the first
counties, for instance to adopt the
| plan was Sussex. Within few
| months a large reduction was report
ed in the number of persons passing
through the casual wards of that
/ county. This meant an influx of the
j most undesirable class of Migrants in
to the neighboring counties, which
We're compelled to adopt the same
system in self-defense. So the
tramp's map of England is gradually
/ being covered with black splotches.
! until presently he is likely TO be con-
fronted with the alternative of emf
/ grafton or work.
w bile this reform has been in pro-
! cess IN the country, London has been
| trying an interesting experiment of
its own. The first step was to stand
ardlze the casual wards of the me-
! tropeiis. Until recently they were ~,
i der the control of separate local an
u''rieles' with the result of wide diff
I iei eiices IN administration In some
VI thein the tramp had a much easier
| time IMAM III others and a KNOWLEDGE
! OF these peculiarities naturally affect.
| "a ms choice of resting place Since
Apili OF last year all the casual wards
Oh London have been under the con-
trol of the metropolitan asvlpms
! BOARD. Nowadays, no matter wbicr,
:. VI them Vagrant enters, he will find
/ "a e.iseiy tie same dietary, the same
ol stene-breaking, or what no.
anu me same regulations and re-
Oh ictiohs. The unifying of the ad-
''''is.ratlon has made it possible to
reduce the number OF casual wards
from y to II, while still nroyia;nor
suhhcient and easily accessible a.,
eonmodation in all parts of Tonds,,
afther there has been tried-in a.,
experimental area in central - on
'aNtaaihs the embankment and other
piaees where the homeless poor large
~ resort-What might be described as
d hlhd OF clearing house system for
tramps. An advisory committee has
been formed, on which are represent
ed the poor-law authorities. the police
ana the leading charitable societies
When a policeman on duty in this
area between 10 p. NJ. and A. NJ.
hnds people sleeping out, he gives
them vouchers and sends them to the
central office of this advisory COM
mittee. This office is in telephone
communication, not only with the cas-
ual wards, but with a number of vol
untary relieving agencies. When a
homeless person presents a police
voucher, the officer in charge decides
for which agency the applicant would
be most suitable, and arranges ac-
cordingly for his food and lodging for
| the night. A register is kept, and on
the following day each case is care
E,,1I \
made to find work for those who are
not hepelessly unemployable. If
man refuses to take a voucher from
a policeman or to enter the casual
ward or institution selected for him.
he is dealt with under the vagrancy
act, and soon finds himself in prison.
Hitherto the police have always been
slow to take proceedings under this
act, in view of. the absence in many
cases of any suitable accommodation
for those whom they might ma
sleeping out The yagrant could Oft
en- plead that he had applied at the
nearest casual ward, and 1t was al
ready full. Under the clearinghouse
plan there is no such reason for hest
tation.
"A hopeful iedluit VI 'iS0S ~
er recent changes is the deliberate
!, attempt now being made by public
| authorities to discriminate between
| the different types of homeless poor.
The chief defects of the poor-law adj
ministration in the past have been,
on the one hand, too little consid-
Grafton for the unfortunate but de-
serving, and, on the other hand, too
little severity toward habitual and
J deliberate vagabends. The tendency
of recent legislation, as shown in the
insurance act, the establishment OF
labor exchanges etc, has been to help
+ those who are willing to help them
| selves-New York Evening Post
PHIL OsoPHY ON THE 7:55.