The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-02-16
Legislation Proposed by
Federal Vocational Board
Ry ]. C. BARNES

Senator Kenyon has introduced a
bill in the senate, which is a bill to
amend an act entitled, ian Act to pro-
vide for Vocational Rehabilitation
and Return to Civil Employment of
Disabled Persons Discharged from the
Military or Naval Forces OF the Uni
ted States, and for Other Purposes"
approved June q, 1918, and amended
by the Act of June II, 1919.
This bill includes in substance the
matter included in the resolution
passed by the American Legion in con-
vention assembled at Cleveland, Ohio,
in September, 1920 This proposed
Act, which has already passed the
senate. provided the following.
l. Vocational training for Ameri-
can citizens serving in allied forces.
2 Vocational training for ten per
cent disability or over.
3. Vocational training for widows
or orphans Of persons who have died
as a result Of injury or disability con-
nected with service in our armed
forces.
4. Medical service and treatment
for all trainees.
5. Base pay of 800 a month for
all trainees.
s. Limitation of eighteen months
in which to apply for training after
passage of proposed act.
1t can readily be sen that the pass
age of this bill would liberalize the
conditions leading to eligibility. 1t
would give a wider scope of the board
and permit them to train all men who
have been awarded disability Of
per cent, or more, by the bureau of
war risk insurance, many of which
cannot now be trained by the federal
board of vocational education with
maintenance pay under the present
laws governing the board.
If this. bill becomes a law, those
citizens Of this country who fought in
the ranks of our allies and who were
disabled while repelling a common
enemy will be entitled to vocational
training on the same status as broth
er citizen who repealed the common
enemy in the ranks Of the armed
forces Of the United States.
The citizens of the United States
who went in to the Canadian army
and was injured and suffered dis
ability, should be entitled to vocation
al training. The present law does
not cover this mans case. The pass
age OF this act would permit this man
to be trained.
Under the present law governing
the board, maintenance pay granted 20
men taking Section training is $50
per month for a single man; in those
localities where the cost is above tbs
average and relatively high, in these
/ GeuLGIS main LSIAdi4NC pay - P4Oo 20
, month. with an additional allowance
for dependents as prescribed unde
/ Section 204 Of Article 2. war risk in
/ surance act. Passage OF this bill
would standardize the maintenance
pay Of men taking Section 2 training
throughout the United States, and al
men would draw 500 per month, plu
the additional family allowance mer
toned above.
: This art would further make it pc;
sible to grant training with mainter
ance pay to the widows or orphans .
persons who died in the service, o
who have died as q result of injury o
disability connected with their serN
ice. This would give many wome
who are now struggling to supper
themselves and their fatherless Chi
dren an opportunity to master som
form OF work whereby they could ear
a fir living wage which to supper
the:zaaives and their children in tn
proper manner.