Most attempts in the large cities to cope with the problem of vagrancy have been partial and palliative. Small cities at one time opened their jails for winter lodging but that has practically ceased since the World War. Other cities drive tramps out of town ; and others have established wood yards to give the work test. Numerous cities have municipal lodging houses and in addi tion private agencies, as the Salvation Army, maintain industrial shops and transient hotels. In every large city during hard times, and often the year through, bread lines and soup kitchens may be found. None of these efforts meets the problem in any compre hensive fashion ; in fact no American city has as yet attempted any comprehensive programme. Quite a contrast is the treatment afforded tramps who have invaded the Southern States during win ter months. They frequently find their way into chain camps and often have been leased to contractors in the mines and turpentine camps. The brutal treatment so characteristic of Southern prison camps has failed, however, to prevent the annual southward move ment of large numbers.
Jacob S. Coxey who led "Coxey's army" of unemployed to
Washington in 1894 demanded that the Government should out them to work building roads. That proposal has often been made but only with transient success. One of the earliest instances was in New York city in 1808 during a riot of unemployed sailors. Attempts have been made by the Federal and State Governments, as well as by municipalities to conduct employment bureaux. These have been partially successful but perhaps more important still are the moves toward public regulation of private employment agencies. These agencies frequently corner jobs during hard times and charge unreasonable prices. Since the World War the auto mobile has had a profound influence on vagabondage in the United States. The old-time hobo still rides the railroad but a younger class, out for sport, follow the highways and ride automobiles. This promises to add women to the tramp population. There is evidence too that the automobile is making possible a tramp family. In many towns of the South and West these families con stitute a serious burden for charity agencies.