The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-07-30
WILSON MAY APPEAL
TO MINE LAB0RERS
TO RESUME WORK
WILL INCREASE THE
-NATION'S WEALTH
Rehabilitation of Soldier and Sailor
Veterans Will Also Restore
Them to Independence.

New York, July 29.-The lessons
learned by the United States in its
work of rehabilitation of Soldier and
sailor veterans of the war, if applied
to the problems of the industrial Grip
plo would mean not only the return to
independence of these injured workers
but an actual increase in the wealth
of the nation of $2,500,0O0,oO0 year,
according to Ralph T. Fisher, district
vocational officer of the federal board
OF vocational education in the New
York district in an address to-day be-
fore the New York Rotary club
"In point of dollars" said Mr.. Fish
er, "retraining the industrally Grip
pied men means an increased pro-
ductive value to the nation of amounts
heretofore little understood. | believe
we are easily within conservative esti-
mates in saying that any seriously dis
abled man who can be vocationally re-
habilitated will have his earning ca
pacity increased by a total of at least
Sl2,50O for the remaining period of
his life and that his increased pro-
ductive value to the nation will easily
reach $4,000.
"The federal board for vocational
education is just now gathering data
or the subject, but, If, for the imme-
date estimate, we assume that not
more than one-ffth of the permanently
disabled require retraining, we would
have $4,000 men year to be trained,
It is simple matter of computation to
see that il each retrained man returns
$4,000 in the. remainder of his life the
increment accruing to the wealth of
the nation would amount to two and
one. half billion dollars. Thit enor
nous figure, it must be remembered,
is the estimated result OF training those
persons crippled in industry in one
year"
Mr.. Fisher said it was estimated by
the board that four or five times as
many persons are disabled in industry
in one wear as were disabled in the
American Expeditionary forces during
he period of the war He said that IN
east 250,000 persons are permanently
disabled in the United States each year
through industrial accidents.
The problem, said Mr.. Fisher, will
always be largely state problem.
1.-The state,n he said, which is re-
,ponsible for the most industrial Grip
pies is likewise reaping corresponding
profits from the industries in that
state which are responsible for those
,ripples Consequently, the funds for
Industrial rehabilitation should come
chiefly from sources of state taxa
lion, assuming that the state will, in
turn, derive taxes for that purpose
from the profits of those industries
which are responsible for the acci-
ients."
Mr.. Fisher praised the act of Con
sress in passing almost without reduc
ion the 90 million dollar sppropria
ion for the rehabilitation of war vet
,rans This action, he said, made it
possible to prove beyond a doubt the
Of rehabilitation of Grip.
Dles.
New York state is to be congratu-
ated," Mr.. Foster asserted, ION hav-
ng recently passed a law calculated
10 accept the provisions of the federal
,ct recently approved, which does not
provide for the support of the indus
rally disabled who are undergoing
Industrial rehabilitation in the various
states. The New York law designates
, state advisory committee for the re-
labilitation of handicapped persons,
which will cooperate with other state
agencies concerned. For immediate en-
,ouragement Congress has appropriated
s3,750,000 to be allotted TO the states,
covering a period of the next four
years. on condition that the states
meet this appropriation dollar for dol
ar.
New York has done the character
site thing in anticipation of the feder-
II act. so that the simple acceptance by
he governor of the state will complete
he formalities.
Whether this is viewed as a war
measure or as an indus
rial rectlperative measure" said Mr.. !
Foster. 1t cannot help but appeal to
light minded citizens, because il is cal /
.ulated not only TO solve an economic !
but to solve at the same time
,ne Of the great social problems Of (
democracy contented citizeneryr
--
Uncollected Taxes in Washington