The Vagrancy Problem.: The Case for Measures of Restraint for Tramps, Loafers, and Unemployables: With a Study of Continental Detention Colonies and Labour HousesDawson, William Harbutt
History
The Vagrancy Problem.: The Case for Measures of Restraint for Tramps, Loafers, and Unemployables: With a Study of Continental Detention Colonies and Labour Houses
Dawson, William Harbutt
Poor laws; Poor laws -- Great Britain; Tramps; Unemployed
"We propose the performance of a small task by the holder of a
way-ticket. It may be urged that if the man is _bona fide_ in search
of work he should not be required to do any task; but we consider that
a task of a useful but light nature will help to maintain a spirit
of independence, and at the same time act as a check to any abuse of
the facilities provided. In return for the food and lodging given,
it seems only right that the recipient should do some work, but we
think he should be free to do the work as soon as he wishes, either on
the day of arrival or the next day, so that he can leave the ward as
early as possible. For the way-ticket man we propose that there should
practically be no detention, and we think that he should generally
have better treatment and accommodation than the ordinary vagrants,
and be kept as far as possible apart from them. And it should be open
to him to remain at the ward for another night if he desires a rest on
his journey."[85]
[Footnote 85: Report of Vagrancy Committee, Vol. I., pp. 43 and 49.]
The passport or way-ticket system recommended by the Committee
is substantially that which has been carried on for years in
Westphalia[86] and other parts of Germany in connection with the Relief
Stations, as already described, and upon which the Swiss system was
modelled. The Committee say:--
[Footnote 86: For the rules of the Westphalian system of Relief
Stations, _see_ Chap. IX., p. 212-215, and for text of way-tickets,
_see_ Appendix II., p. 254-257.]
"We think that the police should be empowered to issue a way-ticket
to a man who can satisfy them either that he has worked at some
employment (other than a casual job) within a recent period, say three
months, and that he has reasonable ground for expecting to get work at
a certain place, and that he is likely to keep to it, or that he has
some other good ground for desiring to go to some particular place.
A case that might be dealt with under the latter description is the
sailor who has missed his ship, and wishes to get to some other port.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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