Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-15

The proper replacement Of our per-
mauently disabled soldiers and sailors
In civil employ
Finding Places for ments Is .s oscom-
Disabled Soldiers. ins,y important
war problsp OF the federal govern
mont. It Il conceded that the de-
partment responsible for the re-es-
tablishment OF these crippled men
viii be confronted with many difi-
culties. H-e
For the purpose Of throwing some
light upon this problem experts OF
the bureau Of labor statistics, De-
partment Of Labor. have made a study
of Industrial accidents in order to
ascertain Just what effect the more
serious permanent partial disabilities
have had upon occupattonsl oppor-
tunities Of the injured men.
Massachusetts, was selected as the
field of study because under the lew
partial disabilities must be paid until
the employee is re-employed at the
same or higher wage than that re-
ceived at the time of the injury.
The investigation developed two
important facts relative to the length
types of injuries inquired into. In
GLIDING the amputation or loss OF use
of hand, arm, foot or leg. One is
the relatively greater severity OF the
foot and leg injuries over those OF
the hand and arm, and the other Is
the unexpectedly long period OF I. asa :
Of total disability for the 1?3 cases
investigated was 1853 months. or
these the average for the ninety-six
hand and arm cases was 13.4 months.
while the average for the twenty
seven foot and leg cases , was sa;s
as regards disability period between
the hand and arm injuries on the
one hand and foot and leg injuries
on the other. Moreover. from the
description of the case, 1t was I'M
possible to differentiate in many
cases between hand and arm or foot
The experts who carried on this in.
yestieation say that the effect OF
these permanent disability injuries
upon wages Is difficult OF determlha-
ton, unless industrial conditions are
normal and have remained stationary
for a sufficient length Of time. The
period covered by this investigation
began in q time Of industrial depres.
sion and ended in one of industrial
activity. Naturally there was con-
siderable increase in wages during
the period Therefore difference In
wages received by the employe at the
time of injury and upon his return to
work a year and a half or two years
later by no means measures the d1f-
ference in earning capacity. Or the
1913 employees studied, % per cent at
the time of the injury received less
than 50 a week, and 50 per cent re-
ceived under $12. 1t is reasonable to
assume that with the subsequent in
creased demand for labor and the
subsequent advance jim the wage level
but few Of this class of employees
would be unable to earn at least their
former wage at any kind of work.
However, of the fifty-eight injured
employees who returned to work
twenty-seven, or II per cent, received
less at the time they returned to
work than they received before the
injury; nineteen, or 80 per cent, re-
ceived the same wage: ten, or II per
cent, received higher wage. In two
cases the subsequent wages were not
ascertained.
The experts found that practically
the only rehabilitation work done in
these cases was the furnishing OF
artificial hands or legs, and these
were supplied in less than one-hal1
the cases. In some cases the employe
refused to wear the artificial limb
usually because it did not fit, was
cumbersome or unsightly or was use
less.