The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-09-12
Duty of the Employer to the
Crippled Soldier.

! your store"
such a procedure can not have other
than pernicious results. In the first
years of war the spirit Of patriotism
runs high, but experience has shown
that men placed on this basis alone
find themselves out of job after the
war has been over several years, or
In fact. after 1t has been in progress
for a considerable period of time A
second weakness in this method is
that a man who is patronized by CIV
Ing him a charity job, comes to ex-
pect as a right such semi gratuitous
support. Such a situation breaks
down rather than builds up character,
and makes the man progressively a
weaker rather than a stronger men,
Der of the community. We must not
do our returned men such injury
The third difficulty is that such
system does not take into account the
mans future Casual placement
means employment either in a make
shift job as Waterman or elevator OPP
orator such as we should certainly not
offer our disabled men except as a last
resort-or in job beyond the man,
one in which. on the cold blooded
considerations Of product and wages,
he can not hold his own. Jobs of the
first type have for the worker future
Of monotony and Encouragement.
Jobs of the second type are frequently
disastrous, for in them man, instead
of becoming steadily more competent
and building up confidence in him
self, stands still as regards improve
ment and loses confidence every day.
When he is dropped or goes to some
other employment, the job will have
had for him no permanent benefit.
Twelve men sent to twelve jobs may
" ali be seriously misplaced, while the
same twelve placed with thought and
wisdom and differently assigned to
the same twelve jobs may be ideally
located. If normal workers require
expert and careful placement, crippled
candidates for employment require 1t
even more.
The positive aspect of the employ
er's duty Is to find for the disabled
man constructive job which he can
hold on the basis of competency alone.
In such a job he can be self-respect-
ing, be happy. and look forward to a
future. This is the definite patriotic
duty. 1t Is not so easy of execution
as telling superintendent to take
care Of four men, but there Is infinite
ly more satisfaction to the employer
in the results. and infinitely greater
advantage to the employe. And it is
entirely practical, even in dealing with
seriously disabled men.
A cripple is only debarred by his
disability from performing certain OPP
eratiOns. In the operations which he
can perform, the disabled man will be
just as efficient as his non handicap
ped colleague, or more so. In the null
tiplicty of modern industrial pro-
cesses it is entirely possible to find
jobs not requiring the operations
from which any given type Of cripples
are debarred. For such jobs as they
can fill the cripples should be given
: preference Thousands of cripples are
now holding important jobs in the in
dustrial world. But they are men of
exceptional character and initiative
and have, in general, made their way
: in spite Of employers rather than be-
cause Of them. Too many employers
are ready ii give the cripple aims, but
not willing to expend the thought ne
cessary to place him in a suitable job
: This attitude has helped to make
! many cripples dependent With our
3 new responsibilities to the men dis
$ abled in fighting for us, the point OF
view must certainly be changed. What
Q some cripples have done, other Grip
4 pies can do-if only given an even
chance
a The Industrial cripple should be
8 considered as well as the military
e cripple, for in these days of national
e demand for the greatest possible out
e put there should not be left idle any
h men who can be made into productive
= workers. With thoughtful placement
effort, many men can be employed di.
s rectly on the basis of their past ex-
y perience. With the disabled soldiers
Il who profit by the training facilities
d the government will provide, the task
t should be even easier.
u This, then, constitutes the charge Of
s patriotic duty upon the employer: TT
t study the jobs under his jurisdiction
e to determine what ones might be sat.
d isfactorily held by cripples. To give
,, the cripples preference for these jobs
s To consider thoughtfully the applica
n lions Of disabled men for employment
n bearing in mind the Importance o.
e utilizing to as great an extent as pos
sible labor which would otherwise b.
d |unproductive. To do the returned sol
1t der the honor of offering him rea
lie employment, rather than profferin'
lie him the ignominy Of charity job. ]
y. the employer will do this, 1t will be I
= great factor in making the complete
- ha 1anapdant crinp1a