The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-21

ylS lCAk ia H. 4
rev Vaerancy Committee has ADOPTED
the way and food ticket system. SO
that no wayfarer need now Want 10Y
food during his days journey. it
further requests all persons not oniy
to discourage begging by declining 70
give food or money to egsaf ou.
also to report all cases Of begging 70
the nearest police station. In aooI
ton to posting up these placards, the
Surrey authorities have PRINTED no
less than 100, 900 handbills Tor dlstrl-
hutton. Everybody within the county
now knows that. If he gives a meal 10
a beggar, he is really Iee0ine MIN
twice. inasmuch as he mad aIreaoy
provided for his needs through the
rates or local taxes.
To make matters worse, from the
tramp's point Of view, several boaroS
Of guardians in Surrey are o max
ing it a rule to discharge no casuais
on a Sunday morning. If that would
normally be the time for their release
they are detained in the ward a day
longer. AS Sunday usually gives beg
CARS their richest harvest. this RUE
has provoked many and vehement
maledictions
The "way ticket" system, when once
started, has spread rapidly by its own
impulse. One Of the first cOuntles
for instance, to adopt the plan was
| Sussex. Within a few n a large
reduction was reported in the number
Of persons passing through the casual
| wards of that county. This meant an
| influx of the most undesirable class Of
Migrants into the neighbOring u
| ties. which were compelled to adopt
the same system in self-defence. So
| the tramp's map Of England is grad
ually being covered with black
| splotches, until presently he is likely
to be confronted with the
| of emigration or work.
While this reform has been in pro-
cess in the country, London has been
trying an interesting experiment OF
it's own. The first step was to stand
| ardize the casual wards of the metro
polls. Until recently they were under
the control of separate local authori-
ties, with the result Of wide differences
in administration. In some of them
the tramp had a much easier time
than in others, and a knowledge OF
these local peculiaritieS naturally at
fected his choice Of a resting-place,
Since April of last yea all the casua
wards of I.ondon have been under the
control Of the Metropolitan Asylums
Board. Nowadays, no matter which
of them a vagrant enters, he will FIND
precisely the same dietary, the same
task of stone-breaking, or what not
and the same regulations and restric'
lions. The unifying Of the admins
tratiOn has made it possible to reduce
the number Of casual wards from q
to II, while still providing sufficien
and easily accessible accommodation
in all parts Of London.
"A Tramp Clearing House.
Further, there has been tried-in al
[ experimental area in central London
, including the Embankment and othe
D10n uyhn~n <hn 6nron1nCC ooor 1orOS
| ly resort-what might be describe,
: as a kind of clearing house system 70
tramps. An advisory committee ha
y been formed, on which are represent
e ed the poOr-law authorities, the pc
lice. and the leading charitable socie
n ties. When a policeman on duty i
this area between 10 p. m. and 2. a. n
finds people sleeping out, he give
Il them vouchers and sends them to tn
n central Office of this advisory commi,
tee. This Office is in telephone con
% munication, not only with the caSu:
.e wards, but with a number Of voluI
d tary relieving agencies. When
% homeless person presents a polio
voucher. the officer in charge decid'
le be most suitable, n arranges a
he cordingly for his food n lodging f
Or the night. A register is kept, and {
K the following day each case is car
a. fully Investigated, and an effort
Id made to find work for those who a
at not hopeiessly unemployable. If
e. man refuses to take a voucher offer,
him by a policeman OF to enter Il
If casual ward or institution selected (
al him, he is dealt with under the V
he grancy act. and soon finds himself
re prison. Hitherto, the police nave
er ways been slow to take proceedin
under this act, in view of the absen
IT in many cases of any suitable accol
AS mediation for those whOm they mig
Nv find sleeping out. The vagrant cot
lie often plead that he had applied
a the nearest casual ward. and it "
tx. already full. Under the clearir
yd house plan there is no such reas
err for hesitation.
vi A hopeful feature of these and otl
recent changes is the deliberate
m tempt now being made BY public
las thOrities to discriminate between
lat different types of homeless cor I