Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-04-26
Monday, April "a, 7s0.
Nothing, not even hersdity has
che power 70 master Us, unless No
oivo Il that power"
Outrageous Neglect.

outrageous Ne9s0Sts
Daily the evidence Of outrageous
neglect Of soldiers disabled in the
war increases. American blood has
boiled over injustices for which this
country was not directly responsible:
opportunity is now afforded for a lit
tie boiling over our own short
comings.l But who is at fault, one
asks. The answer thus far received
is ,inconclusive: it should be definite
and reform should be immediate and
the people should insist upon it.
Their money has been taken for that
very purpose. funds We're ample and
the country should know without
further delay, what is being done
with the money.
The New York Chamber of Com
merce on Wednesday passed a reso-
luton inviting Congressional action
on the apparent breakdown" Of the
Federal Board of Vocational Educa-
ton. And it is apparent that is not
the only breakdown in the machin-
cry, The pitiful lease. reported Of
Frederick Scheller Eliminates dark
corners, incompetency, callous disre-
gard-in short an alarming, con-
tenptible,' outrageous attitude Of In
difference and neglect. The total
government expenditures for the ex-
service men for the year ending
June 80 will reach $263.s6s.s6s. the
bulk of it for vocational training and
hospital treatment. In view Of this
why was Frederick Scheller dis
charged from hospital, though blind
from having been gassed, and why
was he allowed but IS cents a day?
The story Of .Scheller, as reported
in the New York Evening Post,
might seem incredible were it an
isolated one. 1t could be said,
truthfully, that however earnest and
efficient might be the management
an occasional incident like this might
occur. though in some respects this
would be difficult of explanation. -
Allowance must be made for the
inability Of new machinery. hastily
improvised, to run smoothly and
credit should be given for really
valuable results accomplished. The
only way to do this and remedy de-
fects is to get at the truth.
Schcller is said to have left ass5
week job, an aged and feeble moth
Ell and invalid sister dependent on
him, to so to war. He was promised
that. care should be taken Of those
dependents. The promise was not
kept. Exactly one month after be-
ing called he was in France and
shortly after was gassed. AS a re-
suit he was blinded, was sent. back to
this country and put in the hospital
at Baltimore from which he was dis
charged SO blinded that he could
barely distinguish daylight from
darkness. and given a check for his
back pay which no one there could
cash, and left to stumble away un-
attended as best he might. Why?
Well it may be because some person
or persons connected with the man
agement OF the institution had not
been taken out and shot before
breakfast. -. =, -
After he got home his rate Of COM
pensation was cut to Is cents a day.
Why? Because some Of the numer-
Gus incompetents had handled his
case. presumably. He blindly CROPPED
his way to the vocational bureau,
stood for hours in a. room where
there weren't seats enough and
then was told to come again as the
doctor was not there to examine his
eyer Finally. six months after his
discharge. he was sent to the Red
Cross school for the blind, where he
should have been sent directly
0om the hospital. He Is now in re-
eetpt Of $50 a month out of which he
Yays his board and his mother has
sot nothing and were he taken i'll he
would get but the IS cents a day al
lswed under his War Risk rating.
When you saw the boys leaving for
ne front did you imagine any Of the
hEaHe fellows would have to undergo
what schellsr underwent. or did it
occur to you when you were buying
Liberty bonds? The people have not
been in fault bnt from now on they
vii be in fault If THY do not i'm
prsss on the powers that be that
0ch conditions shan no longer be
1Ggerated. -. -
Kirk kiiiseh and Adrianopla two
Owns In the Balkans which Presi.
01mt Wilson wanted to give to Bul :.