The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-03
EFFICIENCY DEMANDED
BY VOCATIONAL BOARD
Hum of Typewriters In Headquarters
Building Sounds Like Machine Gun
Fire-Effort to Employ Only Those
Who Understand Great Magni-
tude of Work Is Evident at
All Times.

Gee Whit / thought that was ma
chine gun fire, said riiddy faced vet
eran Of the war the other day,t as he
recovered from an involuntary start,
caused by the resumption Of the work
by a battery Of typewriters at the
central office of the federal board for
vocational education in Washington
The soldier had dropped into the
office Of DR. Uel g. Lamkin, chief Of
rehabilitation, during lunch hour. When
he entered it was very quiet. Prompt
ly at | o'clock every typewriter in the
place began clicking ont messages
which would bring comfort and relief
to some wounded or disabled soldier.
The noise was disconcerting and no one
laughed at the veteran.
That il efficiency" remarked DIR.
Lamkin with quiet smile, and he told
In those few words story which is so
big that ii almost deiles the imagina
tion Of the ordinary person.
Nearly 200 applications from handi-
capped veterans desiring vocational
training had arrived that day THE
average is more than lT5 applications
per dayl Each application contained
q problem all its own. Each request
for training was of d different charac
ter. Each demanded careful, pains
taking consideration.
From the office Of the chief through
the various channels Of investigation,
each Of the 200 sets Of papers was ex-
amined with care. Each department
head was imbued with the responsible |
ity of his position and gave his best |
to each case. Realization that his |
failure. to be exact would result in |
some handicapped man being delayed |
IN training, or disappointed because his
ideas were not approved, impressed
each subordinate in every case.
glance at some of the papers from
applicants for training viii start a
Duzzing noise in the head of the aver
ige man. The wants expressed are
varied. often impossible to grant, but
such papers call for extra considera
ion and they receive just that. The
diplomatic department head will not
iurt the feelings of any man who suf
cred for his country, so when the re-
quest is impossible TO grant, a sug
restion is made for another kind Of
raining. In nearly every case the APP
,licant is pleased.
One veteran contracted tuberculosis
While in the service He is due every
hing that his government can give
i'm, but his request for medical train
ng. covering a four year course of con
ming study, would simply kill him, so !
e is shown the necessity for fresh air,
nd picks something for which be is I
tied
Another veteran will always limp as
he result of a Germap bullet in his
x. His proposition TO exchange the
money value of his training for a pair
[ mules to pillow his farm. shows that II
e has head for business, but the
card is not given authority 10 swap
rules or any other kind of livestock
,r vocational training. Naturally the Q
eteran is disappointed when aequaint- J
4 with this fact, but he is offered such \
tempting course of training that he Z
lnnot help but see that the mules he \
sked for to-day will be dead or broken /
bwn when be has finished the training a
iat will insure his ability 20 buy a
Jules by the hundred. a
1t is such cases which cause the type
riters to click like machine gun FIRE
very employe of the board realizes
lat he or she is engaged in a wonder u
il work. In numerous cases. disabled
,terans are the employees. They real
e and understand the needs of their
llows. They know how urgent are ot
me Of the requests. They act accord a,
gly. ~