Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-09-18
FIFTY THOUSAND MEN
TO RECEIVE TRAINING
Government win Provide School
Ing fer Soldiers and Sailors
Disabled in War

country, able to compete with othe
whole" men and to earn an indie
pendent income for himself. TIL
plan of the Federal Board Tor voca
tional Education, which has thi
work in hand, is a broad enc, an,
though no actual figures are We
available, it is likely that rs many a
10000 men who served in the wa
viii have to be reeducated either vo
nationally or occupationally.
| Under this plan the Federal Bear,
is now working on what is practically
fouryear program, though appro
priations so far have been made onl,
up to July, 1920. In another month
it is promised, 1900 men will be ap.
proved to go into immediate train,
ing with the opening for the fall
.erms of the professional and techni-
al schools of the country.
The 10000 or $4,000 men disabled
IN the service of the country will all
De placed n training for various lines
of activity, and nearly all of them will
have completed work for vocational
and occupational rehabilitation by the
summer of 1923. By far the major
ity Of the men to be rehabilitated will
have finished Their retraining within
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.
So far no provision has been made
by Congress for rchab litating men
disabled in the service of the country
will all be placed in training for va
rious lines of activity, and nearly all
of them will have completed work for
vocational and occupational rehabi-
litation by the summer Of 1928. BY
far the majority of the men to be re-
habilitated will have finished their
retaining within 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.
So far no provision has been made
by Congress for rehabilitating men
whose disabilities do not amount to a
vocational or .occupational handicap.
1t is believed possible by those best
informed on reconstruction legislation
that Congress may yet be asked to
provide some means of compensatory
ira ming, as Ssif as the compensation
that has already been paid through |
the War Risk Bureau to men who
have simply suffered physical disa-
bilities, without economic loss to
them, in their country's service. To
carry cut such a program, it is esti-
mated the Federal Government would
lave to expend upwards of half a
billion dollars.
Fifteen Thousand Accepted
To date, the Vocational Education
3oard has got n touch with some
$4,000 men and has interviewed no. {
SO soldiers, sailors and marines in t
ured in service during the war. The t
majority Of these will not be able to
btain retraining under the act of r
cngress as it now stands, even with
ecent amendments. \
All of the men more than 10 per a
emit disabled will receive pecuniary :
to the exetent to which |;
ley are disabled, but only those ;
hose disabilities mean a handicap Il
} them in the occupation or vocation p
ley followed, or IN ordinary lines of n
ork, can be RETAINED and fitted for
new trade or profession. Of those o.
READY interviewed 1876 have been d
pproved for training and 1856 of c;
lese have actually been placed in
aiming. Several thousand addition =
men will have been approved by
ctober and these, with the men now
aiting, will begin their schooling
hen the schools reopen.
According to recent figures report
! to the Bureau of War Risk Insur-
nee by the army, 149,433 men have
cen discharged from service with a
"Only cases showing 10 per cent
have been reported" the
sport states. "At this rate it seems
robable that the total number of
ases of disability resulting from the
ar and entitled to monetary COM
ensation will be close to 100000"
To keep within the written law it is
ecessary that certain evidence be
altered from the military records
nd that the men to be approved be
physically examined. The board an
ounces it is making the most liberal
ossible Interpretation of all cases
'ming before it. In many cases that
, not actually come within the law,
1T where the board believes some
ling ought to be done. il has used