Sir Arnold Wilson said that a new Vagrancy Act was an indispensable pre-requisite to further legislation. Nearly all that could be done within awork of the existing system n done. A fresh impetus was necessary, and it must come from above. The Unemployment A: sistance Board, which had considerable discretionary powers, independent status, and public confidence, might well supply it.
The existence of the vagrant in considerable ers was a reflection on our social machinery. The vagrant was no longer a social or civic menace, but an obstinate social pro blem for which there must be found at least a partial solution.
In the habitual vagrant population was assumed to be only 50,000, there were at least 2,500 insane and in all they seemed to be doing was pleading for more legislation to train more men for jobs which did not exist Most people. were on the road merely vith the idea of getting work. Mr. S. H. Halford, of the Northern Home Counties Joint Vagrancy Committee, said that not more than one in 12 of the cases he had dealt with could be described as work-shy.
With one dissentient the conference passed a resolution calling on the executive committee to confer with the several Government Depart ments and the vagrancy authorities with a view to promoting legislation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.