The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-08-16
SHOPS OPEN To
v D j n D { ] MEN
Of j. s. Ar NJ Y
Manufacturers Cooperate
With Red Cross To Give
Crippled Men Means To
Support Selves
10y Associated Press to The BannerJ

the1r doors AFTER the war TO the sol
dies and sailors who may return home
handicapped by wounds so serious as
to force these men to enter new
trades and industries.
Already field agents employed by
the Red Cross Institute for Crippled
and Disabled Men in this city are at
work demonstrating to employers of
labor that a man who has lost an
arm or a leg may prove TO be a val
liable worker capable of maintaining
himself in comfort If not aifluence; !;
for, which the allowance made by the
Government to returned fighters,
wages earned by labor would place
him on a better footing financially
than he was before the war.
Douglas G. McMurtrie, director OF
the Red Cross Institute, has know
ledge of hundreds of typical cases of
men who have been crippled in in.
dustry and in battle. Such men, ac-
cording to Mr. NlcMurtrie, instead
mere pensioners have learned trade
and professions which have made
them happy and successful
A mechanic who enlisted i'm the
Princess Patricia's regiment and who
was wounded and returned to Canada
spent three months in "a convalescent
hospital and now earns, ii is said,
double his former pay, having taken
advantage of mechanical drawing
and arithmetic classes carried on at
the institution. Writing to the hos
pital instructor he said: "At pres
ent, since my discharge from mill
tary service, lam, technically, "A bet
ter man all round; | am able now to
hold a job as foreman in q machine
shop, with mSrf lhan TWICE the sal.
airy | was geA4s vbeforry' ~ 81
A former private in the Thirteenth
$12 week for drying city milk
route. He lost an arm and II leg
and, after course In "A re,educaiion
school subsequent. to preliminary
training at the convalescent hospit-
al, he obtained position as u metal
turner and filter at $75, u month.
Quoting Lord Shaughnessy Mr..
McMurtrie said that '"thc oCcupa-
tions and training provided real AS
tonishing talents which even the man
himself did not know he posses
sed,' The success which is being
achieved in Canada in dealing with
the problem of vocational re.educa.
tion. Mr.. McMurtrie stated. has been
inspiring to those who have the same
work In hand in the United States.
The Federal Board for Vocational
Education, with an initial approprla-
tion of w 10000, Is authorized to
take over all schcols and institutions
necessary to re-educate the crippled
soldier or sailor and, in certain cases
to build new schools. Thus far the
preliminary work OF ,rehabilitatnG
the war cripples has been undertaken
largely at the Walter Reed General
Hospital in Washington under United
States Army supervision, and 'at a
dozen or more similar institutions
throughout the country
Basketry, typewriting and similar
simple kinds of work are given the
patient to keep his mind clear and
bright and give him an interest IN
life. Major General William Gorgas
Surgeon General of the Army, it is
understood, heartily approves of this
method The Red Cross Institute
here, however, will not take man fol
training until he has been discharSed
from the military or naval service
It's plan ContemplateS the employ
ment OF Education Advisor IL
every military hospital where the
needs of the patients as tn learning
new trades or professions could be
studied, and the men will be given ev
cry advantage of selection after prac
teal tests.
"The public has too often confused
d. the idea Of u cripple with that of
! beggar" said Mr.. McMurtrie, THE
resulting reaction has done a great
!. injury to the cause of the seli-respect
! ing disabled man i'm regarding him as
, a subject for charity but not for tsade
training and employment.
"To he sure there Is historical pre-
cedent for this attitude for In past
years decades and centuries various
peoples have condemned the cripple
to the status of roadside beggar OF
at best employed him as jester OF
court fool And In our experience
} there is justification IN the view be
cause we have seen many cripples
at sreet corners. making public exhi