Evening star., 1939-01-09
Camps 10 Care
For Job|ess Men
And Boys Urged
Lewis Report Asks
Three for Work Of
Rehabilitation

Establishment OF Cnree camps 1OT
the rehabilitation and care Of job
less youths and men in the Capital
was recommended today in the sew
/ enth installment of the report of
Relief Investigator Burdette G..
Lewis.
The plan would create: District
OF Columbia rehabilitation and re-
training center for the age group
25-40, with the aim of returning
them to industry; District of Colum-
bia camp for men, designed princi-
pally for the floaters, toward whose
training or retraining. in the ma
jority of cases it is felt, very little
could be accomplished" and District
of Columbia training center for
youths for the age group 15-17.
Recalling that records of the Dis
.trict of Columbia Employment Gen.
ter april. 1889 show SIS per cent
,of the registrants are between Is
and 40, the report says that the
Rehabilitation and training center
would provide "for the temporary
care, rebuilding of health and
morale, training and retraining" Of
these men who at the time of
their acceptance are unemployed
and have been certified as having
no immediate possibilities of Sc
curing employment, either because
of economic conditions, lack of
training or need of retraining, with
a view to return to industry through
the medium of such existing agen-
cies as the District of Columbia
Employment Center and such other
services as may be established within
the organization itself"-the last
reference being to placement service
Vocational Training.
Training in vocations of an un-
skilled or semi-skilled nature
should be featured" the report says.
'It should be correlated with such
academic instruction as is neces-
sary to insure a basic and proper
understanding and to insure COM
plete theoretical and practical
ments it is suggested also that par
ticipants in this training be ap-
prenticed out to private industry
where possible. The enrolment pc
riod normally would be six months.
The camp for men would be de-
signed Ito provide for the tenn
porary care of local homeless, at
tached or unattached, and tram
sients; for appropriate care of aged,
sick and youthful wanderers, with
q view, through humane and. indi-
vidual case work, to curtailing aim
less, and unnecessary Wanderings
and endeavoring in every way to ac-
complish the social and economic
rehabilitation of all participants"
While it is believed little could
be done with this group as whole,
1t is recommended that those fitted
for better things get opportunity to
develop along the same lines as
those in the rehabilitation and
training center.
The Permanent Cases.
THE Others" says the report,
"probably more or less permanent
care cases, will be assigned to work
projects and camp duties to con-
tribute the maximum possible to
their own maintenance, upkeep and
improvement in physical health and
morale Normal enrolment for
these would be year.
In outlining the scope of the sug-
gested training center for youths,
the report says: TT will be the
purpose of this program to provide
for the training of youthful resi-
dents of the District of Columbia,
between the ages of Is and II, in
elusive, and who, because of eco
nomic conditions or other reasons,
have been obliged to discontinue
their schooling, and who, because of
lack of work opportunities, Ineligible
ity for c. c. C. camps, or, when
eligible, have no surety of certiflca-
ton because of limited quotas. At
this critical time in young mans
life, proper living conditions, care
full guidance, counsel and training
will be of inestimable value in in
suring his preparation for later trade
training, job and useful place in
society"
Flexible Plan for Youths.
/. For these, it says, "the training
program should be flexible and ele-
inentary, with special emphasis on
physical, spiritual and mental
growth" Specifically, it calls for
"an intensified sports, athletic, basic
medical hygiene and very elemen-
.tary pre-manual, pre-industrial and
pre-vocational training program"
I'm this connection" the report
amplifies, "it should be kept in mind
that at this age very little actual
training in vocations could be ac-
,1complished, and it should be the
aim of the supervisory personnel to
arrange, insofar as it is prac-
~ticable, for further job training"
either in industry or a C. c. C..
camp.
The proposed camps would be
2OO-member units. On sites and
Soiioti ueIlo1l, IIle report says.
1T is possible that unused, vacant
factories, warehouses, schools, hotels
and other buildings may be secured,
reconditioned where necessary and
readily adapted to the needs of the
program. 1t would be necessary,
however, that they be located in
suburban or rural area where it
would be possible to carry on sub
sistence farming and raise hens,
pigs, COWS, etc., all of which would
require that tract of land of con-
siderable acreage be a part of or in
close proximity to the center, and
would, after the first few months
OF operation, contribute to its main
tenance, thereby cutting down op-