New-York tribune., 1906-07-26
NO PLACE FOR CRLPPLES.
Employers EUen Prefer Men zcith
Prison Records.

In a years experience the Employment Bureau
Cor the Handicapped. conducted by the Charity Or
ganzafiOn Society. has found the cripple the hard
est case 20 place. not. might be expected. be-
cause OF his physical disability but largely because
people DO not like his looks.
Even tuberculosis or a prison record is less
serious handicap than a missing limb" said Clar-
ence III. Mark at the Summer School of Philan-
thrOpy yesterday morning. THE cripple can often
Go quite as much work as an able bodied man. IL
not moro. / know of a who chop more
wO9d with his left arm than most men can with
two and know a little girl who does all the work
for family. besides sewing very nicely, with one
arm. But after one has explained these things 70
an employer and convinced him that given indi-
Vi6ual Is able do full days work one still has
overcome his objection to the cripple's appear
ance.
Il have placed twenty-five men with prison rec
ords and found a much less serious prejudice
against them than against the cripple. Two Grip
pies among those that have 10 were the
verge Of suicide and others actually did shoot
themselves. A man who lost limb in the Philip
pines tramped the streets OF New York for three
years unable 90 find any work that paid him even
as much as s. a week. Yet he was fully capa-
ble as an able bodied man. and had the best OF
recommendations"
c. c. Carstens. assistant secretary OF the Charity
Organization Society. suggested that agitation
70 keep boys out OF such dangerous work the
hotel and messenger service might make places for
cEsppes IL the latter were not astheticaIIy
agreeable as boys
The speaker OF the morning. DR.. z. G. Janeway,
treated the subject from the preventive point of
view. and said that physicians might do much TO
prevent handcaps by urging and assisting their
patients 10 leave dangerous trades. and also by
rOusing public opinion on the subject. with
mild case Of lead poisoning. for instance, might,
ne said, be cured by change Of occupation where
as q allowed TO continue in the employment
for few years the would become hopeless.
TO bring about this change OF employment Is not,
however. simple matter, it appears.
It Is often more difficult TO persuade man to
change his employment" Dr. Janeway said, than
20 induce an employer 10 accept the handicapped
Individual. The employer can be appealed 10 from
TIE standpoint Of economic advantage, for. though
the handicapped individual has disabilities he may
them. He is likely to be more trustworthy and in
nine cases out Of ten does a full days work, al
though receiving smaller wage. The bureau tries
invariably 10 avoid lowering the standard rate OF
wages but IL is not always possible
Among the dangerous trades DR.. JaneWay men
aioned the making Of mems hats, which leads to
nercuTial poisoning; battery work in the manu-
8acture Of automobiles. which produces lead poi
soning; copper working. which produces palsy and
also tuberculosis, and the clothing trades. which
lead 10 tuberculosis.
Work for the handicapped. besides helping indi-
Tl1uals. ought 20 lead, DR.. JaneWay said, to the
collection Of statistics and efforts eliminate these
dangers.
The Bureau for the Handicapped has placed
about 80 per cent OF two hundred and fifty appli-
canfs during ats operation and so per cent Of the
persons SO placed have given entire satisfaction