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From "Glimpses into the Abyss" by Higgs, Mary
Working Man Correspondent
A working man who occasionally experiences homelessness, providing detailed accounts of tramp ward conditions through correspondence.
Core Belief
"The tramp ward system is inhumane and counterproductive, and society has a responsibility to provide decent and effective support for those seeking work."
Worldview
He sees the world through the eyes of a working man, recognizing the dignity of labor and the injustice of poverty.
Personality
Honest, intelligent, and insightful, he offers a critical perspective on the harshness and ineffectiveness of the tramp ward system. He is articulate and passionate about social justice.
In Their Own Words
"I was free from vermin when I went in, but was not when I came out; and whatever the chairman may say about coming out of their place clean, I say it is impossible to do so."
"The remarks made by your chairman on stone-breaking were very misleading."
"I should suggest, for the benefit of the man looking for work, that in all casual wards there should be cells set apart for him at a charge, say of threepence per night. He should be taken in as early as six o'clock and let go next morning at six o'clock; if there is any work going he would stand a chance of getting it: you would not be pauperising him--he would be no charge on the rates, and your pauper returns would be greatly reduced."
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