The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-07-17

l y
were placed in a serious situation
as nearly the entire student body was
included in the operations of the sell
ective draft.
The Government, through the War
department, determined to utilize the
existing colleges and schools, and ac-
cordingly entered into contracts with
686 institutions to furnish housing
subsistence and technical or academic
training to members of the Student
Army Training Corps. These con-
tracts called for the training of 228,-
$50 student soldiers; and at the time
of the signing of the armistice ILL.,
1886 men had been inducted and were
being cared for in these schools.
On November 10 and % of last
year, the secretary of war ordered
the earliest possible rehabilitation of
the Student Army Training Corps,
and by Christmas the orders had been
carried out and the student soldiers
left the schools. The task of making
settlements with the schools was
taken up Immediately, and report
has been filed with the committee
on educational and special training
within the past few days, by E. f.
Hall, business director of the work.
1t is gratifying to note that nearly
10 Io11 &c 1o.,
justed in practically six months,
which record tends to disprove the
too common impression that it sis
impossible to get things finished up
when the Government is a party to
the transaction"
One group Of the contracts with
the educational institutions, covered
the training in colleges and uniiver-
sites, which started their academic
year in the fall of 1918, and a second
group provided for a continuation and
of the vocational train
ing which started in small way in
the spring of 1918; schools and units
having been added in increasing units
during the summer
Mr.. Halls report tells the story of
the settlement of the 686 contracts.
On March 1, 245 institutions had filed
their statements or claims, and it was
after June 1 before the last of these
claims were presented. Field forces
we're organized to work in connec-
ion with the department in Wash
ngton. The country was divided /
nto twelve districts. So rapid was
he progress that 579 settlements
we're made by May 81, and the final /
settlement was negotiated on June
Is.
There were many dark days for
he colleges when they were not only
aced with the suspension of pay
nents under the government con-
racts, but when it also looked as
hough they might lose their students.
But the .proverb that "alI is we'll
hat ends well' is again verified, since
he government has made it's adjust
nents in prompt manner, and the
ecords of the department show that
he average return of students as
Williams is SO per cent.
The report says:
"Forty-four institutions had al
eady received through the routine
ayments under their original con-
racts full reimbursement for their ]
osts, and accordingly signed cancel
'tion agreements and releases for {
lie nominal consideration of one
ollar.
Eight of the institutions had re- ;
lived payment under their original
,ntracts in excess of their actual S
'sts, and returned to the government l
leir respective surpluses, amounting s
the aggregate to $84,729.93. t
sThe amounts paid in settlement of
e balance of the contracts varied /
ON less than $1,000 in some cases to
ore than 100000 in others, de-
,nding of course in each case lagely f
| the size Of the unit and the amount e
extra construction and other ex- S
aordinary expenses" Il
The summary of all settlements is b
ven as follows: f
Number of original contracts,
6; gross amount paid in settlement,
1896, ,124.57; average settlement per
ntract, $14,424.38; average settle cl
snt per contract man, $43.20." u
This vast undertaking of the gov L
nment was closed, as the result of W
,icient administration, at cost for st
ecking and verifying the claims ST
d negotiating the settlements at &c
proximately $169 per contract pl
nsidering the vast amount involved, III
the computing of the training of nj
} men, the sum appears very small. "
e average shows that the men re- ne
we'd 81 days of training. &C