Americus times-recorder., 1919-10-17
Federal Board Estimates That
$4,000 viii Have to Be
Fitted for VoGationS
1856 ALREADY IN TRAINING
Government Works on Four Year
Program, but Funds Are Needed
to Complete Plans-Board Re-
views 1000 Cases a Day.

war the federal government is
striving to place the vocationally DIS
abled soldier back in the economic
ranks of the country, able to compete
with other "whOle" men and to earn
an Independent income for himself.
According to information just made
public by the federal board for voA
cational education it is likely that
as many as $4,000 men who served
in the war will have to be re-edu-
Gated, either vocationally or occupa-
tionally.
Under this plan the federal board
is now working on what is practi-
cally a four-year program, although
appropriations so far have been made
only up to July, 1920. In another
month, it is estimated, 1900 men
will be approved to go into immediate
training with the opening for the
fall terms of the professional and
technical schools of the country. The
10000 or $4,000 men disabled in the
service of the country will all be
placed in training for various lines
of activity and nearly all Of them
will have completed rehabilitation by
the summer Of 1923. BY far the ma
iority of the men to be rehabilitated
will have finished their retraining, it
is expected, within a year or two
years, some of them in less than six
months, and will be back on their
feet in that time in professional and
industrial ranks.
May Extend Work.
SO far no provision has been made
by Congress for rehabilitating men
whose disabilities do not amount to
a vocational or occupational handi-
cap. 1t is said by those best informed
on reconstruction legislation that con-
gress may yet be asked to provide
some means of compensatory train
ing, as well as the compensation al
ready paid through the war risk bu-
reau to men who have simply suffered
physical disabilities, without economic
loss to them, in their country's service.
To carry out such program, it is es-
timated that the federal government
would have to expend upwards of
haR a billion dollars.
Up to the present time the voca-
tional education board has got in touch
with some $4,000 men and has actual
| ly surveyed and interviewed 110,135
soldiers, sailors and marines injured
in service during the war. The ma
jority of these will not be able to OBJ
tain retraining under the act of con-
gress as it now stands, even with re-
cent amendments.
All of the men more than 10 per
cent disabled will receive money COM
are disabled, but only those whose
disabilities mean a handicap to them
in the occupation or vocation they fol-
lowed or in ordinary lines of work can
be retrained and fitted for new
trade or profession. Of those already
interviewed 1876 have been approved
for training, and 1856 of these have
actually been placed in training. Sew
eral thousand additional men will
have been approved by October.
According to recent figures reported
to the bureau of war risk insurance
by the army, 149,433 men have been
! discharged from service with a disa-
bility.
"Only cases showing 10 per cent dis
ability have been reported" the report
states. "At this rate it seems prob
able that the total number of cases of
disability resulting from the war and
entitled to (monetary) compensation
will be close to 100000"
$s5O,ooo,Ooo Needed.
A central case board has been es-
tablished in Washington to finally ap-
prove all cases sent in by the distant
boards. This system, it is explained,
is necessary because the board is op-
Grating under a budget system of ex-
pense from congress. This board re-
views an average of 1000 cases a day.
The majority of these have to be re-
jected, though, if more liberal law
should be passed by congress in the
IululS IuCSS Cd0SS WOulu De IGOpGueu
and it is supposed the majority Of
them would then be approved. The
documents and evidence in each case
are carefully preserved so that the ex-
pense of obtaining them again will be
minimiZed.
| Should a more liberal law be passed
opening up possibilities for training
for such group of men it is now es-
timated it would take at least $780,
000 900 to pay the support, tuition,
and textbook cost alone. Further pro-
vision would have to be made for
travelling expenses of the men, med
ical attention, and mechanical appli-
ances and for equipment and adminis-
! tration of the broader law. At pres
ent the board is paying the tuition,
travelling expenses, textbook cost, and
other special expenses for the men It
approves, in addition to paying 500
to men with dependents and $50 a