Evening star., 1940-06-25
Defense Training
Priority Promised
Experienced Men
Meeting Maps P!ons
For Influx of $50, 900
At Vocational Schools
A. P. Wirephoto.
BY ROBERT BRUSKIN.

Unemployed men who have had
some practical experience in fac
tories now being adapted for defense
purposes will be given priority in
the training classes to be opened
at vocational schools throughout the
Nation, it was reported today.
This is to placate organized labor
through eliminating fears that a
horde of green" youths will be
trained for jobs now being sought
by experienced men who are unem-
ployed and registered with State
employment agencies.
These plans were disclosed as
directors and superintendents of
vocational education from AZ States
met at the Office of DR.. John w.
Studebaker. United States Commits
sioner of Education, to prepare for
an influx Of 10000 trainees within
the next three months at ], ,043 voca-
tional schools. This program will
be financed with Federal funds, Of
which $4,000 900 has been provided
in the deficiency bill now awaiting
President Roosevelt's signature.
"Refresher" Courses.
At the same time, it was reliably
reported that the Work Projects
Administration is planning to pay
salaries of many men on relief who
will be sent to the vocational
schools for "refresher" courses. All
those selected will have had prac-
tical experience, and the "refresher"
courses will prepare them for i'm
mediate use in rearmament in
dustries.
Authorization for this step is pro-
vided in the deficiency bill, and a
meeting is being conducted today at
st. Louis for directors throughout
the Nation where the amount OF
money and number of relief workers
to be assigned will be discussed.
r. v. Ellington, executive as
sistant in vocational education to
DR.. Studebaker, declared selection of
the trainees will come primarily
from the employment Office registers.
1t Is the efficient thing to do in an
emergency to take people with some
skills that can be supplemented be-
cause that gives us trained men in
shorter time"
Cautioned on Objections.
Another phase of the problem of
selection was presented by Oakley
Furney, chief of the industrial and
technical education bureau of New
York State He told the conference
that representatives of major indus
tries had cautioned him against the
possible objections of organized
labor, the c. I. o. and A. F. of L.,
against training new youths for oc-
cupations in which there now exist
many unemployed men.
Says Labor Is Satisfied.
Mr.. Furney declared labor organ
izations are completely satisfied"
with training, men now unemployed,
who are still employable, but need
short courses to give them new
schooling.
However" he said, 'the unions
and employers would like to take
a part in selecting the persons for
training so that there will be no
waste in training men who are not
acceptable.
Labor objected to National Youth
Administration training because they
had no facilities or competent
teachers"
He declared emphatically that
"this is not pauper relief program.
1t is to train men who will aid in
dustry and the schools have reserved
the right to eliminate any trainees
from classes who are not benefiting
by the instruction.
Agreement Is Reached.
Before his arrival here, Mr.. Fur
ney said, he reached an agreement
with the Vocational Training Com
mittee of the A. F. of L. in New
York on the type of persons who
would be acceptable to labor in the
classes. One of the provisions re-
duced the possibility that Commu-
nists or Nazis would be able to worm
into the defense factories. The pro-
vision declared:
''The persons trained shall be ac-
ceptable to employers, or the United
States Navy, or the United States
Army, as workers. Such persons
must be employable upon completion
of the training"
The agreement stated specifically
that "all instruction shall be given
for the purpose Of preparing workers
for national defense"
The policy Of selecting unem-
ployed men with previous work ex-
perience from the $500, 900 now reg
istered with State employment
agencies Is not compulsory, however.