The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-07-16


cured without a great deal of ef-
fort on the part of the friends Of
the crippled child. Not only did
the Board of the Minnesota Asso-
citation for Crippled Children do
its utmost but B. P. o. Elks lodges,
the American Legion, Rotary and
Kiwanis clubs and many others
wrote letters and expressed in the
strongest terms their interest in a
square deal for the little ones who
are physically disadvantaged. Sue
cess was, therefore, a matter for
much rejoicing and ceremony was
staged in the governors office on
the day yof the signing of the bill. A
special pen was provided for the
occasion. Miss Dorothy Jones,
hostess at the Eutis hospital, hand
ed the pen to the governor, while
the sponsors of the bill and direct
ors of the Crippled Children's as
ISOLATION were interested on-look-
erS.
The bill which was passed was
known as the S. F. la, introduced
by Senator John B. Pattison, of
st. Cloud and in the House it was
H. F. 268, sponsored by Represen-
tative Harry Wahlstrand, of Will
mar and Representative August
Zech, of Howard Lake. An amend
ment was inserted in the House
providing that not more than $20,-
600 could be expended under the act
in any one year. The act marks
the first new legislation for Grip
pied children in ten years and it
is the first educational act that will
definitely benefit the rural crippled
child.
The Association for Crippled Chill
dren made a strong effort to secure
passage of two other bills, which
it had had introduced, but these
were blocked by the feeling in the
Legislature against creating new
activities in year of depression.
1t is the intention of the asoscia-
ton to continue to fight and eventu-
ally to secure these two measures,
which it considers essential to the
welfare of the crippled child. One
of these bills, H. F. 263, provided
for boarding chippled children from
other districts in cities which had
special classes. The thought be-
hind the bill was that special classes
should be started in the smaller
cites of the state and that crippled
children be brought in and boarded
at these special classes.
The bill was modelled on the law
now governing special classes for
the deaf, but his argument did not
seem to move the legislators, so
different plan will probably be
worked out for the next session.
The special class method is the only
one which handles properly the
seriously disabled child who needs
physical care at the same time he
is receiving schooling. Without it
many Of the crippled children who
are now being treated at Gillette
hospital, at Eustis hospital and at
the Shrine hospital will not have
the suitable after-care they should
receive.
The second of the two bills which
failed was H. F. 266, providing ten
scholarships of not to exceed $500
each of the living expenses of Grip
pied young men and women who
take vocational training under the
State Division of Re-education.
This bill would have made it pos
sible for q limited number who
can be made self-supporting by vo-
cational training, but who have not
the means for their livelihood
while going to school, to receive
the right training. It would have
made them producers and taxpay-
ers instead Of leaving them to be
charges on thir relatives or the
public. The total cost would only
have been $1,000, but somel egislat-
ors let the small expense blind them
to the social and economic gain and
refused to let the bill be reported
out.
It is probable that bills along both
these lines will be introduced to the
next legislature and that the PEG.
pie of Minnesota, having started
to give fair chance in life to
crippled children, will not leave the
job half finished.