Evening star., 1934-09-30

The Civilian Conservation Corps
was the first large-scale relief under
taking Of the Federal Government
under the New Deal, getting under
way shortly after the Inauguration Of
President Roosevelt. At that time no
one could foresee the extent Of Federal
relief which would be required. In
deed, not q few enthusiasts felt that,
with the coming of the Summer, the
Nations economic ills would magically
disappear. The Civilian Conservation
Corps was organized to give imme-
diate employment to thousands Of
young men and the term of this Or
ganized employment was limited.
When terms expired, the youths went
out into the world What has become
of them aroused the curiosity of Fed
eral investigators and survey was
made to see what could be learned.
The original c. c. C.. numbered
about 100000 youths and young men.
They might, in general way, be
regarded as comparable to college stu
dents for they were much Of an age
and, after given amount of train
ing, were turned loose on the world
to face Fortune in other ways.
BY the end of the Summer term Of
1888 about 100000 were released from
the camps. OF those who could be
traced thereafter. it has been ascer-
tanned that less than 20 per cent
have been successful in finding en-
ployment. The greatest number Of
C. C. c. youths came from New York,
Ohio and Illinois, and the survey
shows that less than IA per cent of
those from these States, who have
been traced, have found work.
Although the work Of discovering
the fate of the young men, after their
C. c. c. experience, was undertaken
in the Autumn-only q few weeks
after they had quit the camps-about
10000 appeared to have vanished into
thin air. No trace whatever could
be found of them. There seems to be
no definite explanation for this. The
theory has been advanced that some
youths gave fictitious names on enroll
ing at the camps, possibly to conceal
previous records. Another theory is
that, upon leaving camps where their
names had been placed on public
records, they assumed fictitious names
The wholesale disappearance in SO
short time of SO many husky young
men furnishes quite q fascinating
mystery.
Meeting the World Again.
1t will be recalled that the camps
scores upon scores Of them, were estab-
lished from end to end Of the country
Not only were the youths paid 81 a
day for their work. they we're given
good food and adequate clothing and
supplied with medical attention. Fur
thermore, they were taught work OF
semi-Skilled nature and the use OF
tools. Much of the work was carried
on in the national forests. Reforestation
and the care of forests were taught
by competent instructors. The science
Of fighting forest fires was included
in the curriculum. The forest camps
were situated in picturesque surround
ings and the youths were paid to live
lives not greatly different from those
which thousands of vacationists en-
joy. To be sure the boys had to work.
Some of the work was Of an engineer
ing nature, such as construction of
soil-erosion dams. Some had to do
with wild life preserves and sane
tuaries. It was all outdoor work.
Here is what happened to the 92,311
Civilian Conservation camp grad
yates: 1926 have jobs. This is 1912
per cent of the whole. This is slightly