The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-09
$50 SOUTHERN CITIES
TO HALT TRAMPS
Not to pass On" Nom
Resident Poor In Endless
Chain of Misery.
Exclusive Service The Survey Press.
Bureau.)

/ A long step forward in the hand1-
ling of charitable transportation OF
tramps and other nonresident poor
in seven southeastern states was tax
en- at convention in Jacksonville,
I Fla, called by Mayor J. E. T. Bow
den of that city. More than 100 may
! ors and another hundred delegates,
/ representing nearly $50 cities in Flor
ida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi.
! Louisiana, North Carolina and South
! Carolina, discussed the. passing on''
evil and adopted a model ordinance to
solve the problem.
Each delegate was pledged to do all
in his power to secure the passage
of the ordinance in his home city. The
ton with a, copy of the ordinance
will be sent to more than 500 cities.
Passing 1t On
The passing on evil has for many
years been a problem of particular
significance. in the South. The mild
climate has been partially responsible
for the presence of many wandering
their increase has been encouraged by
slipshod methods of issuing free
transportation.
A few, charitable organizations with
m odern meth DDS have worked under.
the Transportation Rules, as drawn up
ties and Correction in 1908. The city
of Atlanta, Ga, signed these rules by
ordinance in 1906.
But most of the municipalities and
smaller relief organizations continued
to get rid of their visiting poor by
buying them tickets to the next town
! or the nearest large city-tne old IA
n1iliar method of passing on And
50 the dismal round continued, grow
ing ever worse Towns and cities be-
=
number of wandering dependents,
who suffered Increasing hardship and
pauperism from the system.
In some communities, due to their
geographical position, the conditions
became uncomfortable. Jacksonville, SO
situated as to be the gateway of Flor
ida,-was one of these. Nearly a year
ago Barry c. Smith, then secretary Of
, the Associated Charities in that city,
determined that some local action
operation of the entire South be OBJ
tanned.
AS an initial step, an ordinance was
drawn up and laid before the mayor
and city council. No action was taxi
en-. bat Mayor Bowden showed an
earnest interest.
Tramps Trooped In
Tramp Afamily after tramp family
drifted into the city and the Asso-
cfated Charities kept the mayor con-
stantIy in touch with these concrete
instances. Photographs were taken
of some of the worst types, reports
were secured from other cities, and
definite proofs Of the sending of such
dependents to Jacksonville by other
cities were secured.
Mayor Bowden became convinced
that what was true Of Jacksonville
must be true of other cities, and that
the remedy lay in the cooperative
action of the entire South. Obvious
" each city, On this plan, received
| bout as many poor as it sent else
where and there was a great waste
| of money in shipping folks aiHa1ess1y
back and forth. The call for the
| convention followed.
The traasPertatie ordinance was
first unaniTa eus1y adopted by a COM
rnittee of mayors and an advisory com
| naittee of representatives of charitable
| organizations. The members of this
! COMMITTEES were Mayors J. G: Wood
ward of Atlanta, L. A. Griffith Of Co
| lunlbia, g. O., L. Benish of Selma.
Ala. o. B. Eaton of WiHstad Sa1esn,
N G., and W. F. Colby eff Orlando,
Fla The charitable orgaRizati ens
were represented among others by
| Joseph @. Logan, Associated Charities
of Atlanta, q. H. Patterson, Charity
Organization Society of New Orleans
Miss Helen CinnaEaeRd, Associated
Charities of Savannah, and Barry g.