Evening star., 1932-02-22
FARM BOARD URGED
FOR WAR VETERANS
Director of Employment Serv.
ice Would Find Work for
Disabled Men.

Establishment Of q Farm Board for
Veterans" which would supply work on
Government-owned farms and truck
gardens for partially disabled veterans,
is proposed by John A. Shaw, director
of the Veterans Service Division, United
States Employment Service, Department
Of Labor.
The proposal was made after a Ma
tion-wide survey Of employment among
disabled veterans, conducted by the
United States Employment Service and
the Veterans Administration.
In his proposition, carried as a part
OF his report to the department on the
survey, Mr.. Shaw says
throughout the United States there
are thousands of acres Of land which
have fallen into discard because its
former occupants have listened to the
call OF the cities. While this move
ment has been caused in part by the
increased wages paid in industry, It
also has been caused in part by the
fact the farm boys tired of the quiet,
peaceful life Of the farms. tired Of that
part OF rural existence which would do
most to make it possible for thousands
OF war-scarred veterans-and what
overseas veteran does not have mental
scars?-to return to normalcy.
Would Organize Board.
1T is my firm belief that entirely
aside from its humanitarian aspect, 1t
would be 'well-paying investment for
me Government to organize special
,rarm Board for veterans to consider
tns advisability OF procuring title to
th.eSe farms lands. adjacent to indus
Trial cities in order to be sure Of a
market. and, after organizing the move
ment properly, to place on these farms
disabled veterans who would thus be
afforded an opportunity, under expert
instruction. to work at something which.
while giving them an opportunity to be
useful and self-supporting. will. at the
same time relieve them of the neces-
sity OF keeping pace with the mad race
of commercial industry.
The mental attitude Of the veterans
disabled in service is not bitter. Mr..
Shaw, who has interviewed thousands In
the past few years, says. They have
the idea they are not wanted in indus
try any more. From the more than
100000 replies we got back from our
queries. We are able to estimate that
about 25 per cent Of all disabled vet
erans are without work and that so
per cent Of the disabled veterans who
are willing and able to work are jobless.
Fears Loss of Morale.
THE picture unfolded in interviews
and letters received in response to the
QUESTIONABLE was Of a huge group Of
comparatively young men, who want
more than anything else. an oppor-
tunity to work. They want to feel that
they are producing something; that
they are not men whose usefulness has
been ended by the war.
Il became convinced that unless the
rank and file of these veterans are
granted an opportunity to satisfy this
want to be useful, their morale will
disintegrate with the passing years.
Their nerves, already worn thin in
places. will go and before many years
the Government will be expending
many millions Of dollars on hospitals
and additional compensation checks"
These partially disabled veterans.
some Of them drawing SIS or $40
monthly compensation from the Gov
eminent, actually are handicapped more
than If they were getting nothing, he
said Employers invariably ask a vet
eran if he is getting compensation. If
so, they cut him off the list of possible
applicants not stopping to think that
a man hardly can support a family on
the small compensation he gets for the
loss Of a toe a finger or some other
minor disability.