The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-08-04
Wounded May Be cared
for by Employer
Continued from Page one-)

best employed him as jester or court
fool. And in our experience there IS
justification in the view because we
have seen many cripples at street cor
ners, making public exhibition OF their
defornity or amputauon and soiclt-
ing aims of the passers-by. The num-
Der of these beggars is small IN COM
parison to the great body OF physical
ly handicapped men who are -use1uky
employed, but the few have Vigorously
advertised, have made a considerable
impression on the susceptibilItles OF
the community and have reaped
profitable harvest. A bank teller re-
ported recently the case of crippled
street beggar who deposited in saw
ings account, after paying his hVlng
expenses, $40 a week.
THAT the beggar cripple has been
permitted to ply his trade is great
injustice to the disabled men of char
acter and independence. The prac-
tice should have been stopped IN the
past; it Is absolutely necessary that It
be prohibited in the future. For with
the expectation of our soldiers who
will return disabled from the front,
the public should have no excuse for
associating their prospective career
with that of the mendicanr- On the
contrary every influence should be
brought to bear upon the pubic TO
show that physical disability is an OBJ
stacle, but easily superable with CHAR
acter and ambition; and that the Grip
pie may be made into useful and
productive citizen.
In several cities there have been
inaugurated campaigns to drive the
crippled beggar from the streets, ana
give him the alternative OF produc-
Yixr- ann mir ant Sfa In
efforts should be initiated in every
community and persevered IN until
the unfortunate conception of the Grip
pie shall exist no more Such activity
may well be undertaken as a first
step in preparation for the return Of
our disabled soldiers and sailors"
Frank B. Bigler, a one EARNED and
one-legged business man, loaned" to
the Red Cross Institute by a big. Mis-
souri, corporation, to act as its indus
trial agent during the war, in amplifi-
cation Of Mr.. Murtrie's statement, said
that a cripple came to the institute
recently to get pads for the stumps
Of his legs, both of which had been
amputated.s He was a beggar and
had been forced On the streets because
he could get no employment.
I'VE persuaded him to give us an
opportunity of getting a job for him."
said Mr.. Bigler. explaining that it
was. much more respectable TO earn
living than to be dependent upon char
ity. We succeeded in placing him in
factory assembling the parts OF
whistles at s12 week to start.
I'VE placed a one-armed man with
the Empire Art Metal Company at
running an emery band. He was raised
three times in six weeks. He now
receives S24 a. week When his COM
pany ran out OF material, he was not
contented to remain idle, but canNs
back to US for another job. We placed
him with the American Hard Rubber
Company where he made good. Tlns
company Immediately offered US jobs
for fifty leg cripples. can place
every one-legged man in New York
city in profitable employment. The
case of the one-armed man is Some
what more difficult but we can help
him, nevertheless