Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-28
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY IS, 1920.
Slow to Help in q Great Work.

Slow to Help in q Great Work.
The light of day is beginning to fall
On the political Vaccinations of the
Republican majority in Congress with
the reporting to the House by the appro-
priation committee of an So, ,OOO,OoC
Deficiency bill. Last summer, and again
at the Christmas recess, the majority
leaders made loud claims of their savings
to the taxpayer. Now they are beginning
to nav some of their curtailed notes.
Probably the best instance of what
Congress has actually done by way of
saving money is in the appropriations for
the care of the men wounded In the Great
War. The Federal Board for Vocational
Education particularly has had TO stand
the bumps incident to the record Congress
was irving to make for itself IN the cam
palgn wear The new deficiency blu
recommends the granting of an additional
sI2.OOO.OOO. This is out of the $l5,-
OOo, 900 requested by the board to carry
it over until July, 1920, and represents
the second deficiency appropriation the
board has had to ask since last summer
for the restraining of the country wound
ed.
In july last Congress took issue with
the estimates of the board and pared the
appropriation in its Sundry Civil bill
down to $4,000, 600, with which the men
disabled in the war-l50,OOO or more
were to be rehabihtated and put back IN
the economic machinery of the country.
Realizing the utter inadequacy OF this
sum. President Wilson lost no time in
vetoing the entire Sundry Civil bill and
returning it for a larger appropriation,
which was forthcoming. Congress did
not at that time add all that was really
necessary, but repassed the measure with
the addition of several million dollars.
In describing the situation at the time
the President said: 'fInasmuch as there
are already more. than 1000 disabled
soldiers. sailors and marines in training,
and inasrnuch as another 1000 viii be
put into training now that the amendment
to section 2 has become law, 1T is clear
that even at the rate of only $50 month
an amount approximating sS,O0O,OO
will be required for the mere support of
these men, and that under the present
appropriation nothing will be available
for their tuition and travel, or for placing
them where they can earn living, and 1t
will be impossible TO meet the needs OF
the new thousands who are every week
seeking the benefits OF the Rehabilitation
act" Since that time ID November,
1919, the board has had to ask for de-
fciency appropriation OF 100000,
and for the present deficiency Of s15,-
OOO, 600, which it has recently done and
Of which the committee has chosen TO
report favorably only 100000.
There are now % $40 former soldiers,
and vocationally disabled,
who are being rehabilitated and put back
on an economic footing through the voca-
tional education and rehabilitation schools |
Of the board in various parts of the coun-
try. In addition TO these, there are 2 1856 |
men already enrolled In such schools,
who for personal reasons have temporarily
their courses. many because
their physical condition requires rest. |
Recently there have been reported to
the board some $1,000 applicants for
Federal rehabilitation out of the forces |
modified for the war and wounded in |
the nations battles. Of these il is esti- |
mated about $1,000 will be favorably |
reported on, and the majority of that
number enrolled in technical and academic |
schools in the course of |
he next month or two.
One of the principle obstacles at this
lime is a lack of accommodations, but
many new schools are being rapidly
upplied. The city of Holyoke, Mass,
e building a vocational educational
school with d view to accommodating
! large number of these pupils and Sc eral
'ther cities have similar projects on foot.
n Holyoke it is believed the school will
'ecome permanent and that large per-
entage of more than 100000 disabled
in industry will later find the
chool a haven there.
The Federal Board for Vocational Edu-
alton also has on its hands the re-educa-
ion and bringing back to health of some
5 800 tubercular cases that have come
ut of the war Much of this work will
e done ID cooperation with the Public
icalth Service, but the state of health of
large percentage Of these is sufficiently
ood to warrant going directly ahead
nth their re-education and to this end
bout five or six sanitarium schools are
eng constructed. Here is great work,
D the support of which the Congress
aould give literally