Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-08-24

hiosSinSut aimed TO make the 1nQuS-
trial cripple an asset for the com.
munity rather than a liability. In the
present days of labor shortage. this
movement is regarded as economic as
well as humanitarian.
L. S. Hawkins, formerly director of
vocational education in the state of
New York, will have charge of the
federal governments participation in
the movement, and L. FL. Carris. for
meriy vocational director for New
Jersey, Is in charge of the immediate
development work in the states. AT
present Mr.. Carris is on trip
through the country that will take him
to the Pacific coast and back to Wash
ington.
No reliable statistics are available to
show the number of industrial cripples
but Charles II. verrill of the United
States employees compensation COM
mission estimates that $4,000 persons
every year suffer injuries at work
that cause amputation of the leg, foot
or hand or loss of sight. Roughly,
the official guess is that 100000 or
more persons will be re-educated an
nually when the new law is in full
operation.
The wide scope of the federal law
is apparent from the definition of
those who may be benefited by II, a
section reading: persons disabled
shall be construed to mean any person
who by reason of physical defect or
infirmity, whether congenital or ac-
quired by accident, injury or disease,
is or may be expected to be totally or
partially incapacitated for remunera-
tive occupation; the term 'rehabilita-
ton shall be construed to mean the
rendering of a person disabled mt TO
engage in remunerative occupation.
Many States Have Started.
While no state has yet submitted Its
plan, which on approval by the fed
eral board will entitle 1t to govern
ment funds, the seven states named
in the foregoing have accepted the
principle of the federal law, while
others are expected TO act in the near
future. In fact several states. inciud-
ing California, Virginia, West Vir-
ginia, Illinois, MasSa chuSettS, New
Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania
and Rhode Island, already have state
laws providing for the rehabilitation of
their injured industrial workers. but
slight changes will be needed in their
laws before they can obtain federal
aid.
In order for q state to share in the
federal funds, there must be CO
operation between the state vocational
educational board and the state work
mems compensation board.
Progress of Par Clearance.
The federal reserve board has just
issued an interesting report showing
the progress of the movement started
some years ago for the collection OF
all bank checks at face value through
the federal reserve syste m.
All of the banks in the country ex-
cept one-half of those in eight south
eastern states do not make any charge
for the exchange of checks. In ~
states and the District of Columbia,
one may write check on bis home
town bank, though thousand miles
from it, get fits full face value and not
have a single cent added at home for
the exchange service. Not many years
ago practically all banks made a
charge for this service-generaily 10
cents for each $1,000 or less-and this
practice still obtains in the southeast
ern states.
A study of the federal reserve board
report discloses some interesting sur
prises. 1t is difficult to have popular
conception grasp the fact that Iowa
has twice as many banks as New
York; that even North Dakota has
more banks than the great financial
eastern money market; that Iowa has
more banks than any other state in
the Union, or that Texas has more
banks than Ohio or Pennsylvania.
The movement for the par collec-
ton of bank checks was begun by the
federal reserve board because the law
creating it decreed that member banks
could not pay an exchange charge. In
the early stages there was consider
able opposition TO the movement, and
tie fighting has not yet stopped.
Georgia Bankers Opposed.
Recently state bankers in Georgia
conducted a strenuous fight against
par collections, carrying their protest
to court against the federal boards
collection of checks through express
companies, post offices and over the
counter generally. Still the fight Is
not yet ended, and is expected to come
before the Supreme court of the Uni
ted States in the near future.
Elsewhere in the country there also
have been protests against the activ-
tiles of the federal agents, some bank
ers complaining that the district re-
serve banks collected large amounts
of checks and, appearing suddenly at
the bank counter, demanded CASH
sometimes more than the legal reserve.
These protests reached congress, and
Governor Harding of the board when
called upon to explain cited the law,
and told the congressional committee
that it was up to congress to repeal
the provision against exchange pay
nients If it was desired to stop the par
clearance movement. No action fol-
lowed, in congress, and since then
more banks have been added TO the
par list.
The eight states in which par clear
ancp Is not general are Tennessee,
North and South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
Florida. In these states a total Of
/ SOB banks do not belong to the fed
eial reserve system and are not on
the rar list There are, however, In
these states 1,4S1 banks belonging TO
the federal system, at which no ex-
change charge is levied against checks
collected at or through them.