Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-08-22
ACES TO BE FURNISHED FOR
nrsARLED AMERICAN SOL
DIERS AND SAILORS
CAN ENTER USEFUL WORK
Dad Gross Shows How Those Physically
Handicapped May Be Trained in
Gainful Occupations

off;ees in the United States are plan
ming 70 open their doors after the war tC
+ba soldiers and sailos who may return
home handicapped by wounds so seri
ous &c 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 New York are at work
demonstrating to employers of labor
that q man who has lost an arm or a
lar NAV prove to be a valuable worker
canable of maintaining himself in COM
fort if not affluence; for, which the
allowance made by the government to
the returned fighter, wages earned by
labor would place him on better foot
ing financially then he was before the
war
Douglas G. McMurtrie, director of
the Red Coss institute, has knowledge
of hundreds of typical cases of men
who have been crippled in industry and
in battle. Such men, according to
Mr.. McMurtrie, instead of becoming des-
pondent derelicts or mere pensioners
have learned trades and professions
which have made them happy and sue
cessful.
Earns Twice Former Pay.
A mechanic who enlisted in the
Princess Patricia's regiment and who
was wounded and returned to Canada
spent three months in a convalescent
hospital and now earns, it is said,
double his former pay, having taken ad-
vantage of mechanical drawing and
arithmetic classes carried on at the in
stitution. Writing to the hospital in
structOr he said: AT present, since
my discharge from military service, l
am, technically, better man all around;
am able now to hold a job as foreman
in a machine shop, with more than twice
the salary I was getting before"
A former private in the Thirteenth
battalion, before enlisting was getting
$l2 week for driving city milk route.
He lost an arm and leg and, after
course in a re-education school subse-
quent to preliminary training at the
cOnvalescent hospital, he obtained
position as metal tuner and filter at
$75 a month.
Latent Talents Developed.
Quoting Lord Shaughnessy, Mr.. Nc
Murtrie said that "the occupations and
training provided reveal astonishing
talents which even the man himself did
not know he possessed. - The sue
cess which is being achieved in Canada
In dealing with the problem of voca-
tiOnal re-education, Mr.. McMurtrie
stated, has been inspiring to those who
have the same work in hand in the
United States.
The federal board for vocational edu
cation, with an initial appropriation of
100000, is authorized to take over
all schools and institutions necessary
TO re-educate the crippled soldier or
sailor and, in cen tcin cases, to build new
schools. Thus far the preliminary work
u rehabilitating the war cripples has
'een undertaken largely at the Walter
iced General Hospital in Washington
nder U. S. army supervision, and at a
lozen or more similar institutions
throughout the country.
How Minds Are Kept Clear.
Basketry, typewriting and similar
lmple kinds of work are given the
'atlent to keep his mind clear and
right and give him an interest in life. !
iaI' Gen. William Gorgas, surgeon gen
rai of the army, it, is understood ,
eartly approves of this method. The t
'ed Gross institute in New York, how
YER viii not take a man for training @
null he has been discharged from the
nltary or naval service It's plan con- y
the employment of re- b
uucatlon advisor in every military
ospital where the needs of the patients /
10 learning new trades or professions
ouid be studied, and the men will be S
wen every advantage of selection after t
tactical tests.
The public has too often confused y
Nc idea of cripple with that of Q
eggar," said Mr.. McMurtrie. "The
''uitlng reaction has done a great in E
ny TO the cause of the self-respecting
'Saoied man in regarding him as r
'oJect OF charity but not for trade
aiming and employment. n
Not Necessarily a Beggar. S