Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19

' in the roadway near q filing
station on the outskirts Of town
jerks a thumb over her shoulder
while she smiles appealingly ut
o passing motorist. She wants q ride. And
usually, II she Is pretty, she gets it.
She is Q hitch hiker, one of the regiment Of
girl hoboes, offspring Of easy American trans
portation, who during the last year or two
have become grave problem to social workers
Adventurous, restless, virtually penniless these
girl rOvers on the hunt for the lend Of the
rainbow" have been familiar figures to automo-
bile owners throughout America
Realizing the gravity Of the situation, the
National Association Of Travellers Aid Societies
Is now making survey among social agencies
IN thirty-two States from Maine to California
IN an effort to determine the ease with which
young hitch mixers beg rides for long distances
throughout the country, the exact numbert of
these girl hoboes and methods whereby their
free transportation schemes can be cnbed. This
association Is asking the cooperation of various
organizations throughout the country-churches,
welfare societies, police departments and filing
stations where girls wait to be picked up by
motorists. Already almost 1000 organizations
have agreed not to pass along young mixers
without investigation.
Automobile owners the public, parents Of
young children, win learn In the near future
the results Of the survey now being made.
There is nothing worse for. the juvenile
ding. and the hitch-hiker Is just that-a pam
handler" said Sherrard Ewing. Of New York
City. general director Of the National Associa-
ton Of Travellers Aid Societies.
six months or year Of travelling around at
ether persons expense makes Q girl Q profess
sional drfter, unable to settle down, at only for
o wandering life Of thrills and chance She
wants travel, adventure and q vacation, but
she doesn't want to pay for them. Instead of
working and saving her money, so that she
can pay her own way ON her journeys IN q
nelf-respecting fashion, she simply starts out
without funds with the idea Of cumming her
way, just as boys Of years ago used 70 steal
Kides on freight cars.
''She has not yet learned the fundamental
sOundness Of that old saying, We must pay for
everything We get In this world She thinks she
can beat the game and get q nice free trip and
D glorious free vacation, thus putting one over
m the girls who have 70 work for theirs.
EHrTcH-HKNG is the OutgrOwth Of easy
American transportation. We are q
nation on-wheels F1exibiEty Of transportation
IA ali its different forms fires the imagination
0 the girl who wants TO see the world. She
seads so much glowing travel literature that
her rowing instinct Is aroused by It.
"Imbued with the American idea Of getting
AOA 4tOskAASS BIC puSAo AASk
brush, comb and very little else and starts out
30 go places and see things Since the aver
age age Of these girl hoboes, whose glorihed title
- hitch-hiker, ranges from IS TO 20, they are
not mature enough to realize the dangers they
ere facing because Of their unconventional mode
of travel. Most Of them have always lived In
town or small-city environments and they do
not have any conception Of how shard-boiled'
the world can really be.
They never pause to consider that when
@bey beg rides from strange men they may be
approaching unscrupuloCs characters. Neither
% they realize that they are laying the 1osm-
cation for Q future Me Of vasrancy. Many q
Ghese girl hobOes have Yuved about with such
ease for 90 long that they ultimately ind It
empossible 10 settle down In any one place and
take root The result Il . life Of paphandling
Ground the country without home, friends, reg
uiar work Or stability Of any kind whatsoever.
Besides that, steady work would be too monoto-
nous after years Of travel, seeing new places.