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84
I have seen their children (in a most filthy condition) playing
outside the Council's schools during school hours while the children
inside are being trained to become respectable citizens.
If they bring infectious disease into the district they are treated
similarly to those who have to pay rates for hospital accommodation.
Their cattle are generally turned out to graze on any available
land and at times do considerable damage to crops. In fact this
happened on the Council's land in the Hertford Road.
The females of the community endeavour to earn a living by
peddling (practically begging).
There are still a few old-fashioned bona fide gipsy hawkers who
visit the district and never stay more than a night or two. These
give little or no trouble, as their caravans are, generally speaking,
well kept.
During the year 1,072 gipsies have been seen and removed. Of
course this number includes the removal of the same persons over
and over again, but many under a different name.
The number of different van and tent dwellings was 215.
Averaging the number of occupants at four in each van or tent
(generally a man and wife and six or seven children), this shows a
total of 860 persons without water supply or w.c. accommodation,
and generally speaking of a filthy character.
206 notices have been served, but the procedure seems useless, as
most of them either tear them up or throw them on the fire. It is
useless to serve a warrant, as they have no effects, and one cannot
prove that the horse that drags them from town to town belongs to
them. At present 45 committal orders have been made against
them, which will, of course, be put into execution should they
return.