New Britain herald., 1918-11-22
GOVT. ID EDUCATE
 DISABLED SOLDIERS
Fourteen Offices Opened Where
 Men May Apply


 now open in fourteen of the ch'of cities of the United States to receive the applications of disabled soldiers and sailors of the American army ana navy for free education to equip them for the vocation for which they are most fitted. These offices have been established by the Federal Board for Vacations and are in the following cities: Washington, Philadelphia New York, Boston, Atlanta, New Orleans, Cincinnati, St Louis, Dallas Denver, Chicago, Minnesota, San Fran cisco and Seattle.
 At each office are stationed men to advise the disabled fighters as to what they are entitled to receive, a medical officer and a man to obtan employment for them when they are ready to go to work. It is promised by the Federal Board that applicants will be sympathically considered with the best interests of the disabled mon in mind
 While receiving re-education the government will pay the disabled man $65 a month and in addition will pro-
  pay educational fees. Each man ac- cepted for re-educatiOn will be sent to an institution giving special courses in the line he has chosen or he will be given instruction in any industry he wishes to learn.
 During his training period allow ances will be made by the govern ment to his dependents such as his rr-i1J be fixed in proportion to the am ount they received while he was in active service.
 When the disabled man has finished his training the Federal Board pro- missed to have employment ready for him. After he has gone to work again his compensation from the War Risk Insurance Bureau begins and will con- tinue unaffected by the amount of his earnings
 Tn making these announcements the Federal Board for Vocational Educa- ton states:
 The worst mistake a disabled man can make is to drift into low grade. unskilled occupation. Without any training he must compete with the normal man in a line of work where brute strength and physical fitness alone count and there can 'bc no doubt as to the outcome when work becomes slack. Every consideration requires that a disabled man should obtain permanent employment a t a desirable age. in the 4position for which he is best fitted or for which he can become best fitted Otherwise his career will consist of alternate periods of more
 
 ness. trying to live on his pension and picking up occupation. No self respecting veteran of this great war can afford to be placed in this posi- ton. There is only one escape by which these men may make their future safe and that is if training is necessary to obtain it through the Federal Board for Vocational Educa- tion.
 The tempation to take these low grade, unskilled jobs is very strong while war prices prevail, especially as pay is higher because there is a lack of help and the quality of the work is not looked at too closely; but jobs commanding war prices and employ ing large numbers of particularly skilled or unskilled hands are not al- soon going to shrink to normal conditions. What then? The answer is unfortu- nately very simple. The law of sup ply and demand is not going to stop working because there have been some men who have been soldiers and who Incurred disabilities in defense of the country. If there is only pay ing work for so many hands, the sup ply of hands must be cut down. When this happens, the man who cannot turn out as much or as good work as a sound man is going to lose his job. because of his deficiency and the sound man will keep his job. That means the disabled man will be out of a job and will drift about from one temporary employm ent to the other. meeting rebuff after rebuff and be- coming of less value as time goes on. The antidote for such condition is offered free by the United States gOvernm ent.''