Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-06
HELP FOR WIVES
AND CHILDREN
~OF WAR HEROES
Bill Providing Schools for
Widows and Orphans Waits
House Action.


passed the Senate and is said to have ex-
eellent prospects in the House.
This is the KenyonBess bill. which
passed the Senate on Jan. 81 Of the cur
rent year, and now lies awaiting action
by the House OF Representatives. Repre-
sentative Simeon P. Tess of Ohio, whose
special protege is this bill, attempted in
vain to get a quorum together to dis
cuss It during the last few days Of the
closing session of Mr.. Wilson's admin
isk(eion
this bill offers vocational training IN
der the supervision Of the Federal board
OF vocational education to the widows and
orphans of Americans who lost their lives
during the period that the United States
was actively engaged in the World War,
and also to American citizens who served
In allied armies, that is, with the Cana
dian, British. French, Italian or Belgian
forces. In other words, the United States
Government is planning to help the
wives and children of heroes fit them
selves for Jobs whereby they can earn
their bread-and- butter and our men who
did their duty under foreign but allitd
flags will, in this way, not be deprived u
their privileges as Americans.
1t is estimated by the Federal board
that at least 10000 Americans who had
enlisted in allied forces will thus become
eligible for vocational training and 1900
widows and 5000 orphans. These figures
are a conservative estimate compiled by
the War Department, AID it is possible
that further investigation now being made
by the various district offices Of the Fed
eraI board will increase this number.
Among prominent individuals especial
1y interested in the compiling Of these
statistics is Miss Helen P Mccormick of
g eli or nf nfCfr
attorney of Kings County, New York, and
chairman of the Catholic Big Sisters of
that locality Miss Mccormick is person
ally searching the records Of the local
war heroes in order to find especially
how many women and children in Amer
ica's greatest city will be entitled to such
training.
WHAT WOMEN
ARE ELIGIBLE.
In order for a widow or orphan to be
eligible for this training 1t will be nee
essary to prove that the husband or
father has died since April Z. 1917, as a
result Of injury or disability incurred,
increased or aggravated while in service,
or traeeable. in the 9oinion of the board,
to origin during his period of service. No
&fdow can receive these benefits unless
she commences a course of train ing under
the supervision OF the Federal board pri6r
TO Jan. l, 1925. nor IN the event of her
remarriage. Moreover, application for
such training must be made TO the dis
trict office Of the Federal board within
eighteen months after the date that the
kill passes and has become a law.
In the case Of an orphan, vocational
training shall only be furnished between
the ages Of IA and IS years. OF course
at this time most of the orphans Of
soldiers killed during this war are from
2 to 5 years Of age. The provision al
lows, however, that provided applica-
ton IS made by the childs guardian be
fore the eighteen months have elapsed
the child will receive the training when
IA years of age. The reason that the age
limit IS set in this manner has been ex-
planned by Mr.. Monroe, a member Of the
House Committee on Education, to be
based on the ground that the public
schools take care Of these children up
to the age OF IA.
In the cases Of the men who served
with allied forces, the bill states that
Every person in the military or naval
forces Of any ally Of the United States
in the late war, il a citizen of the
United States Immediately prior thereto,
AND having resumed citizenship II lost
~ reason Of any oath or obligation
taken for the purposes OF entering such
allied service, who, since April 7, 1917,
has resigned or has been discharged or
furloughed therefrOm under honorable
conditions, having a disability in the
Judgment Of the board, constituting a
vocational handicap, or Of a degree Of
ten percentum or more, incurred, in
creased or aggravated while a member Of
such forces. or later developing such q
disability traceable, in the opinion Of
the board, to service with such forces.
shall be furnished by such board. where
feasible, such course OF vocational re-
Mobilization or vocational and general
education as the board shall prescribe"
INCLUDES MEDICAL
TREATMENT.
1t will be especially noted that by the
above-quoted passage In the Kenyon Fess
bill, new latitude OF eligibility is given
In that to be eligible q man may have
either 10 per cent disability or a vOca-
tional handicap. Formerly the pro-
vision was for the vocationally handi-
CAPPED only In another section of the
bill this expression also includes men
who served with the United States mill
tary and naval forces.
Another very interesting feature OF the
bill is the provision stating that all medi-
44cal treatment which any widow, orphan
'eor ex-seTvice man may require while re-
aSceiving such training, be provided at the
expense of the Government As no pro-
vision Of this sort has been made by
Congress, such organizations as the Elks
have raised special funds to take care
of doctors bills incurred by men who
have received or are now receiving such
Training. However as most of these
military organizations are now closing
all their war work most Of their funds
sshave ceased to be available for this pur
4pose.
- Another section of the bill provides
That every person electing to follow a
>Seourse SHALL while following the same.
~. paid monthly by the said board, from
The appropriations made. by the Con-
gress for carrying out the provisions of
the vocational rehabilitation act, such
sum as In the Judgment of the said board
is necessary for his Tor herr maintenance
and support and for the maintenance and
support Of persons dependent upon him,
II any" In no event can the sum so
paid an adult, without dependents. exceed
800 a month. or, with dependents, S12O
"a month. In the latter case. however,
there are in addition, the various sums
prescribed as family allowances which
are provided for by the war risk insur-
ance act The amount to be paid a child
while pursuing a course of training can
not exceed $50 a month. Children In
Guided in this art are legitimate chill
dren, children legally adopted prior to
New. II, 1918; stepchildren, and nlegiti-
mate children, provided the deceased
father had been judicially ordered. or
decreed to contribute to such child's
: support at any time.