Putnam patriot., 1919-01-17
TENDER CLAIMS
 NEGLECT BY U. 5.
Supervisor of Trade Schools
 Offered Assistance
CorroboFates Report That soldiers Have Been Thrown on Own
 Resources

A report of unspeakable neglect bg the United States government of Connecticut soldiers who have been discharged from the army and who arc said to have been thrown on their resources in this state after being SC riously wounded fighting in France, is sorroborated by Frederick J. Trim der, state supervisor of trade educa- ton for Connecticut. MT Trinder is well known in Putnam through his ef forts in organizing the trade school kewe, and the Putnam school was one of the places MT. Trineer offered for nstruction in trades 10 wounded m>n.
 h Is claimed that many of the men were so incapicitated by their wounds as to be deprived of making livelihood unless re-edueated by the govrnment to do work that can be .S~.e by men with their disabilities.
 nr. Trinder said his curiosity in the methods of the war risk bureau was first aroused when A. w. Griffin, acting district vocational officer for the Second District, showed an un willingness to accept the offer of MT. Trinder to re-edueate disabled sol diers in Connecticut trade schools. During the war. 700 soldiers were ed uented in Connecticut trade schools
  for the army, principally in radio Slnd buzzer work Under Mr Flinders supervision, they received this educa= tion at state trade schools located n Putnam, South Manchester, New Britain. Waterbury. Torrington, Dan bury, New Haven and Bridgeport.
 On January of this year, MT. Trinder heard indirectly of a meeting of federal vocational agents of the Second District which was to be held the following day on the seventh floor of the Woolworth building, New York. He called MT Griffin on the long distance telephone, and received an invitation to attend.
 When Mir. Trinder arrived, he said he found no organized meeting. MT Griffin was there, with Dr. Thomas Buckley, special agent for the federal board; Edward r. Paxon, secretary for the New York State Council of Defense. and Alexander w. Wilson director of the Atlantic Division of the American Red Cross. Mr. Grlihn according to MT Trinder, had no m formation to offer us to the purpose for which the meeting had heen called rave no instructions to the men, and seemed to MT Tripder to have nc definite policy in view
 After waiting for some time to re eeive some constructive advice or in- vt4uetions, MT. Trinder asked MI Griffin for list of record of the Connecticut soldiers who had been disabled and would be subjects for vocational re-edueatiea, MT Frndet claimed that there were sixty SIX in the list. Dr. Buckley told him that he did not care to have such list turned over to Mir. Trinder, because it might result in dual treatment
 Dual treatment is better than nc treatment at all. Mir, Trinder re plied. according to his statement.
 MT. Trinder said he demanded tc know why work on these cases was being permitted to drag, and he re eaived the reply that the board was handicapped by shortage of money He said he was told that. after while. it would not be necessary fol the government to concern itself witt the re education of many of the dis abled soldiers. because they woulC look out for themselves. In few years the vocational board woul, have little if anything further to d' with the soldiers, he was told.
 Totally exasperated by the indif ference of the bureaus agents, Mir Trinder demanded again that lis of the disabled Connecticut soldier be turned over to him so that thu state could undertake to care for 1t own men, and take chance on be ing reimbursed later by the govern ment.
 Dr. Buckley protested, but Mr Trinder said if he was not furnished with the list he would himself pro eeed to look up the cases. Before Mir Trinder left, Mir. Griffin decided not to heed Dr. Buckley's protests, and agreed to send Mir. Trinder a digest of each case without further delay. That was nearly two weeks ago, and up to the first of this week Mir. Trin- der had not received the lists. Mean while the Connecticut authorities have no official knowledge of the cas- es.
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