Bricklayers 144 13 Shoemakers 133 13 Fitters 123 9 Rivetters 123 — Boilermakers 123 — Tailors 108 5 Carpenters and joiners 106 9 Printers and compositors 74 — Stokers, firemen, etc. 70 3 Seamen 60 4 Moudlers and drillers 58 — Gardeners 37 — Clerks 36 — Engineers 34 — Bakers 33 — Harnessmakers and saddlers 31 — Porters 27 — Blacksmiths, etc. 25 — Sawyers 25 — Plasterers 24 — Plasterers 22 — Silversmiths — 3 Other trades 446 16 Total 5,829 322

The following classification of the casuals admitted into the wards of a rural union, unnamed, is published by the Poor Law Commission:—[12]

Occupations.		1905		1906		1907
Navvies		552		772		613
General labourers		404		485		489
Carters		62		56		61
Carpenters		42		6		37
Masons		38		42		48
Grooms		37		40		60
Seamen		34		28		48
Fitters		24		—		20
Shoemakers		23		24		36
Firemen		15		21		31
Tailors		13		16		11
Gardeners		12		12		8
Miners		12		—		—
Bakers		4		13		13
clerks		11		8		38
Ironmoulders		11		5		16
Blacksmiths		9		—		13
Other occupations		142		57		69
Professional tramps		79		25		66
Total		1,512		1,610		1,673

Of 450 men admitted into the casual wards of the Skipton-in-Craven workhouse during the period September 1 to November 12, 1904, 50 were aged and infirm, while 250 described themselves as general labourers, and 150 as tradesmen.

The classification of the latter was as follows:—

Tailors	30
Joiners	15
Mechanics	12
Bricklayers	12
Painters	12
Masons	12
Spinners	12
Weavers	12
Butchers	9
Colliers	8
Printers	8
Shoemakers	8

It must be granted, of course, that every highway wanderer is not a loafer, and that the workhouse casual ward itself offers a rude hospitality to many a decent wayfarer who is deserving of a better fate, though a good deal of misapprehension exists on this subject. There is no means of learning the percentage of bona-fide work-seekers amongst that section of the vagrant population which fights shy of poor relief, but when one enters the casual ward it is possible at once to divide the sheep from the goats. Those who theorise upon the basis of intuition, and much more those who confuse the voting of other people's money with Christian charity, are apt to conclude that, as a matter of course, the casuals "in a lump" are not "bad," but only unfortunate, and deserve all such relief as is afforded them. It would be futile to deny to the most habitual of vagrants the power to impress even the case-hardened listener by fiction which is a good deal stranger than truth, by doubtful emotions and still more doubtful morals. Let appeal be made, however, to the trained observation of the Poor Law clerk and the weather-beaten soul of the workhouse master, and a different story will be learned. Some years ago I questioned all the Poor Law authorities of Yorkshire on the subject; half the answers placed the number of the genuine work-seekers at 5 per cent. of the whole, though in special cases a