Morris tribune., 1918-08-30
HIGBIE DIRECTOR OF
REHABILITATION WORK
Has Charge of Soldiers Agricultural
School Where Men are Re-
fitted for Civil Life

e. C. Higbie, who resigned the
superintendency of the West Central
School of Agriculture year and a
half ago to go to Columbia UNIVERSE
ty in New York to obtain his doctors
degree, has completed his work there
and is now director Of the Soldiers
Agricultural School and Gonzales
cent Hospital at Lawrenceville, New
Jersey. At this institution, wounded
soldiers will be re-educated for civil
life.
Mr.. Higbie has qualified himself
as one of the few experts in the
country in this line of education,
and because of his many friends here
and also because of the desire which
our readers will have in knowing
more of this most interesting work,
we are reprinting complete and in
teresting description of the work
from the Trenton, New Jersey, Eve
ming Times. The Times says:-
"Lawrenceville will occupy a large
place in the rehabilitation of wound
ed soldiers from overseas, when the
Soldiers Agricultural School and
Convalescent Hospital, now in course
of construction, is put in operation
about two months from now. Locat-
ed on the great tract of land known
as the "Glen Burnie" farm, formerly
owned by James E. Russell, dean of
Teachers College, Columbia Univer-
sity, New York, the school and hos
pital will accommodate about $50
soldiers. 1t will be under the direc-
ton of E. G. Higbie, for the past
seven years director of the Technical
Agricultural School of the University
of Minnesota In case of necessity it
will be possible to accommodate 1000
soldiers here.
''The Convalescent Hospital will be
under the general control of United
States Surgeon General Gorgas, and
the vocational work on the farm I'M
der the direction of the Federal Board
for Vocational Education. Mr.. Hig-
bic will hold the immediate director
ship of the vocational work, but will
be the co-ordinating head of both
branches.
''This plant has been made posi-
BILE through the generosity of Dun
levy Millbank, of New York City, a
trustee of Teachers College, Colum-
bia University, whom Dean Russell
interested in the project. Mr.. Mill
bank purchased the land for the gov
eminent and is furnishing all equip
ment, except the hospital barracks.
''The camp Dix Construction Com
pany last week broke ground for the
two hospital barracks, officers quar-
tiers, Red Cross building and shops.
A force of from 20 to so men will be
employed as the work advances.
tThe movement for soldier rehab-
ilitation, of which this school is an
outgrowth, is one which has de-
veloped international proportions
since the outbreak of the war. Ger
many had a we'll constructed program
for the education of crippled soldiers
years before the outbreak of hostili-
ties; England, France and Canada
have met the problem for the last
four years; so that America is the
only great fighting nation to be fac
ing this new situation. If there are
million and more American soldiers
now overseas, one per cent each year
will become subjects for rehabilita-
ton, if the sort of warfare through
which the world is now passing con-
tinues. Therefore, there WOULD be
in calendar year 10000 men to be
trained On basis of 100000 men
there would be $4,000 year to be
re-educated.
Before the task of educating the
returned soldiers can begin, their