The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-17
GOVERNMENTAL
 ASKED FOR MEN WHO ARE CRIPPLED

washington, D. C., Sept. 7.--"To those who are maimed in her service, whether in the military or the indus trial army the country must extend not merely the protection of disability compensation but also the helping hand of rehabilitation through meas ures that will, as far as possible, re- t9ore the cripple to normal life and useful self-sustaining occupation"
 This declaration was made by John Mitchell Chairman of the New York Industrial commission and member of the executive committee of the Amer ican Association for Labor Legisla- tion, in an address yesterday at the fifth biennial meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Charities, urg- ing the passage of legislation in Con gress to extend the scope of the new vocational rehabilitation act for sol diers and sailors, so as to include also the disabled victims of industrial acci- dents.
 ."The need of vocational rehabiilta- tion of crippled industrial workers is great said MT. Mitchell Tt is not only a pressing wartime need but it is far greater permanent need than the work for retaining military crip- pies. War is accentuating the neces- sity of conserving and utilizing every possible ounce of labor power. There are in the United States at the pres ent time at least GOO victims of in- dustrial injuries calling to us for this kind of training to make them produc- tive members of society and open again to them the door of self-sup- port self-respect and opportunity. And this number of permanently in- capacitated is increasing at the start ling rate of 11,25O every year.
 "Oficial estimates based upon the experience of Canada. our neighbor to the north, indicate that only about one per cent. of the men sent over seas will be affected by the new fed eral plan for restoring the disabled tc health, vocational re-eiucation and a job" he continued At that rate il would take ten years of fighting, em- ploying a million men each year, tt swell the sum total of disabled sol present army of industrial cripples waiting to be reclaimed, already tu- long neglected in our factory and mu.
 
 tTicts and railroad centers."
 The re-education of cripped indus. trial workers will require merely ar application of the same principle ar enlargement of the scope, and the full utilization of the machinery already provided by law, according to MT Mitchell, since there now exists we'll administered system of feIera vocational education in which the work is carried on and the COS shared jointly by the national gov ernment and the several states.
 That the United States is success fully re6sisting unjustihable attempt to weaken the industrial "second lin of defense" by breaking down hard won protective standards for labor and that it is extending and improv ing the benefits of workmen's com pensation and preparing the way fo universal health insurance for wag earners, including maternity benefits was the assertion made by MT. Nit chell, who added "In my experienc as chairman of the New York Indus trial Commission which administer the workmen's compensation law,
 am brought face to face every da with the tragic consequences of ou failures to make some provision fo restoring to economic usefulness, self assurance and renewed interest i living, those victims of industry who's injuries have maimed or disable them beyond all possibility of return ing to their usual occupations"