Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-10-06
VETS CHIEF SAYS
PEONACE SYSTEM Isl
EMPL0YED0Ny ANKS'
DIRECTOR FORBES TELLS PREsl.
DENT THAT VOCATIONAL STU.
DENTS" ARE BOUND IN SLA-
VERY TO FATTEN PURSES OF
GET.RIcH.oUick ExPLoiTERs.

Washington, Oct G,-The present
system OF federal vocational training
contains decidedly toe much theory
and needs tho injection OF practical
methods, Director Forbes o! the Vet
erGns' Bureau, said in report to
Pres. Harding. made public today. II
covered his re,cat inspection of hos
pitalization and vocational training
facilities throughout the country,
Col. Forbes characterized the sys-
tenn as Enthusiastically and absolute
ly wrong" and expressed doubt whe.
ther very many men have actually
been rehabilitated by the government
and have gone back to their respec-
tive communities as wage earners and
as assets
I'VE have farmed men out under
this system" the director said ut
IL nothing short OF crime and slavery
TO put men into some of the places
they have been put. | am opposed
to the sweatshop system, and | do
not propose to let more of the former
service men be exploited by mush-
room houses that have sprung up
merely to exploit the soldiers and
get the governments money
Col. Forbes reiterated the belief
that government vocational uniyer-
sity for former service men and WON.
en- would in measure solve the prob
lem. Few Of the beneficiaries, he adj
ded, get the training they desire and
the government loses sight OF them
once they have been "farmed out to
somebody who thinks only OF the
money he will make of of them"
Orders were given in Chicago the
director said. for the discontinuance
of training in certain institutions hav-
ing contracts with the government,
because they were not providing the
type of instruction the beneiiciaries
had a right to receive. His survey
there, he said had disclosed several
instances where those under training
were being exploited
Col. Forbes issued orders discon-
tinuing a number of private Chicago
schools as vocational training institu-
tons because the former soldiers
were not receiving the proper in.
struction.
I'VE have been farming men out TO
cheap tailoring establishments, ex-
plotting heroes of the war for the
benefit OF mushroom institutions
created for the purpose of getting fed
eral trainees and governmental mon
ey," Col Forbes said
Furthermore. the government has
furnished these privately managed
training shops with their machinery
and equipment. | propose to close
every mushroom institution. There
are forty or fifty different types of
these | figure there are 10000 vet
Grams of the total of 100000 now re-
ceiving vocational training in places
of this character
"In Chicago the character and scope
OF vocational training being offered
by the government was reviewed at
some length. | found in some in
stances that the schools of instruc-
ton under contract with the govern
ment were not giving the type of in
struction which the government had a
right to expect, and which its bene-
ficiaries should receive, and after a
thorough survey of the situation |
gave orders for the discontinuance of
training in certain institutions.
Instances also were found where
the trainees of the government were
being exploited by their employers,
and where the government was not
as vigilant as it should have been in
the interest of its disabled ex-service
men and women. | went into this
condition thoroughly with the author
tiles at Chicago and believe the con-
ditions are now somewhat rectitied.'
Col. Forbes said he would be una
ible to give until tomorrow the names
Of the Chicago institutions discontin-
ued.