HOBOES' CONVENTION

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 32, 6 February 1913, Page 2

HOBOES' CONVENTION

WHO ARE THE HOBOES?

A cable message from Now Orleans ' published on Saturday last stated: — I A national convention of hoboes and tramps has deicded to adopt suffrasette methods in order to secure their release from gaol when convicted of vagrancy. Protests were made of tl>o stnetuess of the vagrancy laws m several States. The resolutions were ordered to be sent to the State -Legislatures." What this convention really is, is explained by the following paragraph from the Springfield Republican: — A monthly magazine for hoboes is to be published by Jeff Davis, the new president of the international brotherhood welfare association. It }"U b£ known as the International .liobo Review, and according to Davis the contributors will mcllude James Ead3 How, of St. Louis, the founder of the organisation, Jack London, James Seymour, the hobo poet, Walter Millard, and Robert Hunter, line annual convention of the itinerant workers, who are estimated to numbsr about 1,000,000 in the united States, will be held in New Orleans, 28th January to 2»d February. More than 1000 are ex- J pected to attend. ' Persons nowa- ! days frequently confuse the term hobo with those of tramp and bum,' ■said Davis. ' The hobo is a man who is always looking for work, but frequently cannot find it, while the tramp and the bum do not want ' employment. The hobo is an important feature of our present civilisation. There is- a large part of tho world's work done by the hobo. He is a useful citizen." Mr Davis claims that his father was a first cousin of» the president of tho Confederate

States. In the official call for the convention issued last week Mr Davis declares ho is prouder to be at the head of the organisation than he would be to be mayor of Chicago.