Glimpses into the Abyss

ing guardians to enforce the Casual Poor Act of 1882, not only has not been

ld be driven to join the majority of 'sturdy rogues' who now subsist in comfort by begging, who sleep in outhouses or pay for lodgings, and never enter a casual ward with its restrictions and taskwork." They considered that the only true way of dealing with the question is to

s to the casual wards were 536, those sleeping in lodging-houses 1,152. Thus about two to one did not seek the legal shelter, besides those "sleeping out." As the number of casuals was decreased by the severity, the number in lodging-houses

own as "the Gloucestershire system." A valuable report as to the working of

hould take care that those who are driven by stress of circumstances to take to the road do not find it so plea

rmal times have reduced vagran

y providing for migration, and so respecting the feeling

bread tickets to the public to give to way

o co-operate, as Gloucestershire is a great thoroughfare. I

doption of what was then known as the Berkshire system

ht and morning, for which he has to do a certain task. On his discharge the name of the union to which he is to be admitted the following night-the direct route-is written on his ticket, also the name of the intermediate station he passes on his road, where between the hours of one and th

acts as a deterrent. In 1891 when trade was brisk, in March quarter, this system reduced the numbers to 4,497 as against 13,313 in 1881, and on the whole ye

mely, ￡65 3s. 5d., to that spent in Gloucestershire without selection. Colonel Curtis Hayward thinks discrimi

1891

6,349

oes not appear to hav

rovides food for the wayfarer in exchange for bread tickets. Posters displayed at police stations deter the public from giving doles. A large increase of vagranc

what reason should he be so treated as to make him prefer the shelter of a barn or rick? Every facility should be given him, but where is there an employer who will start men in the middle of the day when discharged from casual wards? What about a mid-day meal? He must beg to live. He follows it up for a week or two of necessity and he finds it pay. In a few weeks you have a properly manufactured moucher." He suggests that in place of casual wards there should be in each municipal borough or urban district a State common lodging-house with labour yard, used also as a labour registry, and backed by l

cial system. Those on whom it is most necessary to enforce labour throw it up.[50] As experiments these institutions are most valuable, but in the absence of definite State provision they themselves often add to the confusion existing, by providing merely temporary control for undesirable cases. A certain amou

first be costly, but pioneer work is necessary to find out what suits English conditions. This is what makes each attempted colony now most valuable. Lingfield appears to be especially so, both as redeeming 40 per cent., as fitting them for emigration, and also training helpers for social se