The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-02-15
The Disabled
sBv LEMuEL ROLES

National Adjutant, American Legion
apolis.-When the World war
ended this country was brought face
to face with problem of having tens of
thousands of young men on its hands
who were SO disabled it was impossible
for them to return to their old occupa-
ton to earn a living.
The Federal Board of Vocational
Training, was created to handle and
develop this work, and out of its ac-
tivities grew phase new to Americans
Vocational rehabilitation. This meant
roughly teaching new jobs to men who
had been rendered unfit for their old
jobs by war injuries.
The work of the federal board de-
veloped, but progress was not rapid.
Dissatisfaction had arisen through the
agencies charged with the care of vet
Grams.
Veterans Bureau.
At the insistance Of the American
Legion, Congress, lin 1921, created the
United States Veterans Bureau, which
Immediately absorbed all activities in
the care of veterans and began the
elimination of the conflicting forces.
The federal board and its activities
was absorbed by the bureau. Colonel
Charles r. Forbes, director of the bur-
eau, placed Colonel Robert I. Rees in
charge of the vocational rehabilitation
with the title of assistant director.
The policy of the veterans bureau
has been to train men for vocations
where their disabilities are not hand
leap. A vocation is selected for a man
individually, where his disabilities will
not handicap him in following its sue
cessfully.
On Sept. 1, 1922, 96,941 disabled vet
Grams were receiving vocational train
ing under the veterans bureau. These
men are receiving instruction in pract-
ically all of our 1arg universities, COL
leges, and vocational schools.
Number RehabiIitated.
They are being trained in approx
imately $50 different trades, vocations,
professions, or in agriculture.
On this same date 20,503 had COM
pleted their training and had obtained
employment.
has been reached and passed, unless
the provisions of the law are further
liberalized by Congress.
The high water mark was reached in
March, 1922, when there were 109,805
veterans in training In July, 1919,
there were 1926 veterans in training; in
July 1920, there were 39,761; in July,
1921, 87,848, and in July, 1922, $4,000.
The number rehabilitated in July,
1919, was 109; in July, 1920, 1920; in
July, 1921, 1880; in July, 1922, 1881.
The total number who had entered
training Oct /, 1922, was Isl, 1877. The
total in training at that same date was
9G,941 and the total number who had
completed training was 22,505. Nine
veterans have died while in training.
Salaries Increased.
In June Of last year Colonel Forbes,
director of the bureau, established an
employment service, as the result of a
conference attended by the legion This
organization establishes contact with
employers and obtains employment OPP
portunities for rehabiIitated veterans.
Many of the positions obtained pay sal
aries considerably above the pre-war
salaries of these men.
There are also hundreds who have
completed their training and have
opened Up business establishments for
themselves. ...
Who will say the new method has
over the old pension system? Is it
not only fairer to the disabled them
selves, but better for the country to
have these defenders of our flag again
become productive factors in the econ
omic fabric Of our nation