The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-23

.rrs,aod Of using boys and girls OF WorK-
- Tor work that cannot pay full mems
Us have YOU ever tried to use a capable
v S W, has some handioapd but who
PPU n a, intp your work in spite Of It?'
ThIs Il one OF the questions that have Tor
a.. Iast few months been propounded to
-orIovers by the men who have In oharge
SLat is known ar a special employment
r'reou for the handicapped. These men
w. Dr Jancway, W. Z. Harmon, Willard
~ ", Holden Weeks, c. C. Carstens,
si,h whom the idea first originated, n
r,orence II. Marks, agent, who has statistics
.nd stories at his tongues end to prove the
oonomic Importance Of the work.
The men and ome for whom employ
-ont u sought are those who have been
sInpled. partly paralyze e or suffering from
Ssosss brought on by their work, such as
t.adnoisoning. mercurial poisoning, painters
"Jic. those mentally defective whose minds
arc vet capable Of responding to influences in
,art,in directions, writer's and players whose
rroa,iye abilities nave suddenly ceased,
business men whose years and misfor-
,rres have brought them to the stress Of
roverty, tuberculosis patients In the early
stages and men with prison records who
want to begin over again.
II is not designed to appeal TO employers
m sentimental grounds. 1t Is a purely
economic question that is presented. A
nan NAV halk az the o Of his taxes,
but whether, to quote the words Of one Of the
hoard, he cares enough to study the prob
lam and see that tins Is n Of the ways by
which those taxes can be reduced is to be
moved in the future; it has not been in the
past.
one of the recent writer's on sociology
mas said that for thousands Of years the
eath's ~reoples have struggled toward a
perfect civilization; and to-day, with u
wonderful brains and resources, we have
not discovered how to provide shelter and
three meals a day for each individual mem
Der Of the vast army Of the population.
This bureau for the handicapped Is one of
the attempted solutions.
Statistics have been compiled which show
that there Is annually a waste Of $50, 900, 900
worth Of labor in the world. In the United
States alone 524,CCO persons are disabled
inindustrial accidents. 6fthese thousands,
Ii is estimated that 225 600 still possess a
certain earning power which can be utilized
and here is where the bureau expects to
appeal 10 the utilitarian for help. If these
crippled, sick and defective persons can
do so per cent. as much work as they did
before, why should not that so per cent. of
labor be taken advantage Off
The Average yearly wage Of the working
man is $3.50. Take your 22S 900 handicapped
men who can still make good and multiply
BY s?25, half the average wage and you
have in round numbers $780, OO, 900 a gear
saved to the world by the placing Of
willing energies.
Other statistics have shown that it takes
about $4,000 to support a pauper through
lhe natural term Of his life. Keep on figur-
Ing and assume that the world is not willing
10 take the responsibility Of finding work,
but in taxes, charities and in other ways
prefers to assume the liabilities of it's pau
pens, and it is not long before you find a
sum like s. 900, 900 900 yearly incurred in
This way, the we'll mans burden. Eight
million paupers in the British Empire, with
one out Of every four dying a public charge
y almost equalled by our own records.
In the long list Of available -handicaps'
none Of the 1901 900 professional paupers
now on the lists Of the various charitable
organizations has place or part. These
latter have been tried in the fire Of work
and patience and have been found wanting
they are the waste heap Of humanity, for
which there is no adequate testing crucible
Nyet.
The 'handicaps" are Trustworthy. Their
abilities, ambitions, earning power and
pasts have been thoroughly investigated
and they have been as carefully classified.
All classes in society are represented
and all ages. The young girl whose hand
has been torn in the machinery Of a factory
and the professor OF bellies lettres whose
place has been taken in the university by
ayoung man jostle each other in the line Of
applicants.
What could he found for a girl OF II, crippled
d described2 The answer that such a
ons has already heen placed at the small
switchboard Of a telephone with satisfactory
results disposes Of that question. The
Professor Of bellies lettres is more than
content with being made private secretary
vi wealthy man.
An old man who has added to the allotted
years an extra half decade is pointed out.
At one time he was chief geologist for one
d the Western railroads. He is an expert
chemist and, Russian by birth, speaks and
Frltes seven languages. A place was
Nnnd for him as translator on a mining
Siodical, but for two years he had tramped
.estreets Of New York seeking employ
mem
oheot the most difficult problems that
Aas tobe faced is the heartlessness OF the
Noru tyard the man who has passed his
pIme am is on the down grade. Every
yoar the hsiness world levies on the young
@eh' and as squeezed oranges they are
aHo"h asiOe when youth and vitality are
fous. ihe0 are many places which might
n'ed by these -handicaps' II only en-
EVyers ooule be made I O see that age,
ue 1t nay debar from certain roles. has
ERket.
NeFcal POSITIONS are filed with the
SoIg and itsxpert because they can be
heaper; girls and boys In their teens
,hoDuhd In them often to the detriment Of
rSo snort sighted employers. A man
~ had fifty years experience in the
Uursse world might be made much more
.ssUonaven with a handicap, than a boy Of
ue nn who is totally blind is a hard
biVOlem, although in ma ~ tba candvy